Bloodlines
by The SOC Puppet
Summary: Knocked unconscious by Orochimaru's attack, Naruto awakes to discover a shocking secret about himself.
1. Battle Within

**Naruto****: Bloodlines **

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 1 – Battle Within**

[Author's Note: I haven't read the manga, so all I have to go on is the anime, and what I've read of the manga summaries on the Net. This story will start during/after Episode 29 of the anime; after that, it'll probably become an AU.]

" " – Speech

_Italics_ - Thoughts

"Get up, boy." Naruto didn't stir. Half of him didn't feel like it, and the other half felt so battered and beaten, it couldn't have moved anyway. _That long-tongued freak really did a number on me… _

"I said get up! If you've got the strength to complain, you've got the strength to stand back up and do something about it!" This time the voice moved him a bit. He'd never heard anything like it, with power and tone so strong it felt like a physical force upon him. Gingerly, favoring his wounds, he sat up.

"About damn time." Naruto had had enough.

"Who the hell are you, anyway?" Looking around didn't help; there was nobody in sight. _And a strange sight indeed... It was the Forest of Death, where he was taking the Chuunin Selection Exam, and yet it wasn't. He could see the trees, but where there had been light, all was dark. Once shadow-covered areas glowed with a strange energy; in the distance a dark dome loomed over the skyline, pulsing with an unknown malevolence. Sakura and Sasuke, who should have been on the trees nearby, along with their unknown assailant, were missing._

"Who I am you will find out soon enough. Don't bother looking around for your teammates; this isn't the Forest of Death." Still grimacing, Naruto stood, looking about to place the voice's location. He found it hard; the voice seemed to come from all about him, permeating the almost-forest.

"Then where the hell am I? How long have I been out cold?" The voice sounded half-amused and half-disgusted.

"You're _still out cold. This is all within your mind. And unless you can get your act together, you're probably better off staying unconscious."_

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Bah, you'll know better when we speak in person. You can see that dome in the distance, I presume."

"Yeah…" Naruto drawled out the comment, feeling a bit uncooperative.

"You _do realize that I know exactly what you think, don't you? Being an idiot is only going to make things worse."_

"If you know what I think, then you know I want you to show your damn face! Stop skulking around like that long-tongued freak!" He would have thrown a kunai, but without a target it seemed futile.

"Want to know why you're out cold instead of still fighting? You can't even stand to sit still and talk to somebody without flying off the handle. Some future Hokage." The voice dripped undisguised contempt.

"You have two choices, boy. You can find your way through that forest, and meet me on the cliffs near the dome. Or, you can simply ignore me and try to wake up on your own. If you really want to be Hokage, to become truly strong, you'll come here and face me man-to-man." A hint of laughter crept into the last sentence, as if the speaker had meant it as a joke. That got Uzumaki Naruto's attention. _Laughing at me? We'll see who's laughing when I get my hands on you!_

He leapt up from his branch and set out into the forest, intent on finding his tormentor.

* * *

          _Okay, this definitely isn't the Forest of Death I remember. Naruto thought about the situation as he dodged yet another pitfall on his way to the cliffs. He'd thought to walk there, to rest muscles tired from coming to his teammates' rescue (for all the good _that_ had done), but was greeted by traps, snares and pits. The trees were no safer, hiding odd, poisonous-looking creatures and all sorts of sawed-through branches and oil-slickened trunks._

          The voice still plagued him, occasionally making snide comments when he barely managed to avoid another trap, and generally making a nuisance of itself. If nothing else, he was still moving because he wanted to shut whoever it was up for good.

          _Whoops, another one. Hidden under those heavy leaves, almost missed it. He swung lightly around a small sapling, jumping over the rope snare, and focused his chakra briefly to his feet, bouncing off a larger tree, always moving forward._

          "There, now; is that so bad? To think about a situation rationally, not leaping in with both feet, half-blind?" Naruto wasn't sure whether to be annoyed again or feel subtly complimented.

          "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to teach me instead of making my life a living hell."

          "Bah, you think this is bad? I'm taking it easy. If you hadn't shown the guts you did against Orochimaru, I'd not have given you even the slightest possibility of a shortcut to me."

          "Orochi-who?"

          "That 'long-tongued freak' you keep mouthing curses at. His name is Orochimaru, and he's one dangerous guy. I'm not surprised you don't know him; your teachers have better things to do than tell you stories about criminal missing-nins way above your level." Naruto bristled.

          "Hey! I beat that gigantic snake, didn't I?"

          "You got lucky!" The voice snapped, shaking the air and ground around him with the force of its statement. "He was toying with all of you, even the Uchiha kid. When he got serious, you wound up here quickly enough. But that was his mistake."

          "Whaddaya mean, mistake?"

          "Orochimaru saw you accessing the Ninetails' chakra when you went berserk and started beating the second snake up. He knocked you out by strengthening the seal on the Ninetails, which drained you of chakra and sent you here. But what he didn't know was that in making the seal stronger, he also made me stronger than I've been in a long time. If you ever manage to get your sorry ass to the cliffs, you'll find out why that was a huge mistake on Orochimaru's part.

          "So keep moving!" Still muttering under his breath, Naruto complied. _Not like I've got anywhere ELSE to go… _

* * *

          "I made it through the forest, you sadistic bastard! The least you could do is meet me halfway!" Naruto panted another complaint as he rested on the thin ledge, a few feet up the sheer, rocky cliff. He had no sooner celebrated passing the forest when he found out that his kunai wouldn't pierce the rock of the cliffs, and there were no cracks to pry open. He would have to scale the heights one handhold at a time.

          "A kunai's as much a tool as a scroll or sword would be. If you ever went undercover, the only thing you could depend on would be yourself. So get used to it, and get up here! If you've got the strength to complain…" Naruto finished the sentence for the umpteenth time.

          "I've got the strength to get moving. Yeah, yeah. I've heard it a million times already."

          "All you have to do to shut me up is reach the top, boy…if you can." The teasing tone of the voice only made him angrier. _Keep laughing, Chuckles._

          Naruto climbed slowly, painfully. Handholds disappeared suddenly, crumbling off the rock face, or just vanishing along with more disembodied laughter. More than once, he fell onto ledges or slid down the cliff until he could desperately hook an arm or leg around an outcropping. His perceptions vanished; height didn't matter, only movement. Upward lay victory, and every little slide or stumble was a defeat. And Naruto hated losing.

          By the time he draped an arm over the edge of the summit, Naruto barely registered his success. Shoulders aching, muscles taxed, he dragged himself over the edge to lie on flat rock again, limp as the ramen his empty stomach craved. A shadow soon loomed over him.

          "Not bad, kid. You may become Hokage after all." He closed his eyes, savoring the victory.

          "What do you care? What's your stake in this anyway?"

          "Take a good look, if you really want to know." The voice was different now, almost proud. Naruto opened his eyes to see a man in the familiar Hokage robes, but it wasn't the Hokage he knew. This one he knew only from a face carved in solid, emotionless rock, looming above the Hidden Leaf Village. He stared up at a tall man, with spiky blonde hair peeking out from under his conical hat, like a halo of sunlight.

          "I am the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. The man who sealed away the Ninetailed Fox Demon.

          "And I'm your father."


	2. The Apple and the Tree

**Naruto****: Bloodlines **

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 2 – The Apple and the Tree**

Summary: Naruto awoke to discover a voice goading him on to meet him, in order to become stronger. Once he reached it, he found a man in the Hokage's robes, claiming to be the 4th Hokage – and his father.

Disclaimer: As should be obvious, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for Uzumaki Haruka. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto (although Kishimoto-sensei might as well have hit us all with the obvious plot hammer when he gave the Fourth _that_ hairstyle).

" " – Speech

_Italics_ - Thoughts

          _As shocks go, I've had worse…but still…_

"My father?" 

          "That I am, boy."

"Uh huh. Pull the other one." Naruto stood between the Fourth Hokage and the edge of the cliff, unsure what, if anything, he was going to do. The late Leaf Village leader looked resigned.

          "Hey, take it for what it's worth. Ask the Third Hokage, he knows."

          "If you really _are_ my father, then why am I such a freaking outcast? You'd think people would respect me and stuff, being your son." The Fourth shook his head slowly.

          "Flying off the handle again. And you were doing so well.

          "There are precious few people who even know your real story, and I asked most of them to keep quiet about it long ago. You and I don't even have the same last name." Naruto wasn't impressed with the explanation. _More of the runaround_.

          "Save me the secrecy! You think you can just show up and claim me as your kid? Where the hell were you when everyone was looking down on me? When they neglected me, or made me feel like I was some curse on the village? You could have stopped it. If they'd known I was your son, none of them would have dared to mess with me." The Fourth's eyes narrowed; his voice was little more than a whisper, but it cut the air like a blade.

          "And then where would you be? Waiting to have the robes handed to you on a silver platter, or acting the fool like Konohamaru? Don't just assume things, Naruto. You have a duty to this village to become strong. Not to yourself, not to me, Kakashi, Sasuke or Sakura. The Leaf Village may one day depend on how good a shinobi you become." He pointed at the black dome that pulsed under the cliff.

          "There. That's where the Ninetails lives, where I put it." Naruto shrugged.

          "Big deal. If it could get out as easily as you imply, why didn't it come out all the way when I was fighting Haku or Orochimaru?" The Fourth Hokage took out a kunai of his own and tossed it at the dome. The metal throwing knife bounced off harmlessly, clattering to the ground.

          "That seal is stronger than anything that was ever done to any demon before. I should know; I came up with it. The Ninetails may be able to get part of itself out from under it, and infect your chakra, but it'll be a while yet before it can get totally free. Orochimaru, whether he intended to or not, set it back a few steps when he put his own seal on you. He's locked the Ninetails away, so that neither of you can get to the other's chakra.

          "But as I said, that was his mistake. It allows you to get stronger while the Ninetails stagnates, and it may even let you get strong enough to beat that thing for good." Naruto looked down at the dome for a moment, then back at the Fourth's expressionless face.

          "Let me get this straight, _Dad_. All the Jounin and most of the remaining ninjas in the Leaf Village got their heads handed to them by this thing, you had to seal it away because you couldn't kill it, and you think _I_ can beat it all by my lonesome?"

          "It's…complicated." The Fourth sat down heavily, still gazing at his handiwork. "It wasn't that I couldn't kill it, just that I only saw one way to do it. Seal it away inside someone, and train that person to become so strong that they could defeat the Ninetails, and eventually absorb its chakra. In doing so, they would kill the demon for good."

          "And you chose me." Naruto muttered.

          "When you have children, you may understand better, Naruto. I couldn't have sealed it in an adult; their chakra pathways are already set and would only clash with the demon's chakra. Only a child, a strong child who could accept this extra burden, would do. But who would I ask? How could I ask anyone to make a sacrifice that I wouldn't make myself? I was the leader of the entire Leaf Village, not just my own house."

          "Okay, stop! You're making less and less sense the more you talk." Naruto waved a hand at the Fourth, sitting down in front of his supposed father. "Just give it to me straight.

          "If you're my father, why don't we have the same last name? Where's my mother? And if you're supposed to be dead, what in the blue blazes are you doing inside me?" Naruto watched as the scenery shifted all around him; the trees and forest vanishing, to be replaced by the familiar confines of the Hidden Leaf Village. Well, mostly familiar. The monument above the village only held three faces, and many of the people and places he was used to didn't grace the streets. The Fourth Hokage stood, and pointed down to one street in particular.

          "You want answers? Come with me." He leapt down from the cliff, towards the village, Naruto at his heels.

* * * 

          "Don't look so surprised, boy. This is Konohagakure from 13 years ago, well before you were born." The Fourth smirked, relishing his connection to Naruto's thoughts. He stopped them in an alley, behind a row of normal, cookie-cutter apartment buildings.

          "And here comes that handsome devil now." Another Fourth Hokage strolled down the street, dressed in the robes of his office, turning his head every so often, as if looking for something. He stopped as a young woman dressed in a plain gray kimono stepped out of one of the buildings.

          "Uzumaki Haruka. One of the youngest Anbu members in Leaf Village history; she had her own squad commander position by the time she was 14. If I remember right, she'd just gotten back from another mission when she sprung the news on me."

          "What news?" Naruto didn't bother looking at "his" Fourth Hokage; he was too busy drinking in every detail about this woman he'd never known until now. Everything from the shoulder-length raven hair, drawn back in a ponytail, to the sharp, perceptive brown eyes and well-hidden kunai strapped to her wrists and ankles. This was a lady who personified both beauty and deadliness.

          "Just listen to her."

          The younger Fourth reached out a hand and snagged Haruka as she passed. The Anbu member gazed on the village leader with a cool expression.

          "Man, did I miss you. Another mission gone by and you still aren't ready to settle down with me?" Haruka sniffed.

          "The high-and-mighty Fourth Hokage, Kazama Arashi, begging an Anbu member to leave the ranks? If I didn't know you better, I'd say you just want one less competitor for glory.

          "Well, you'll get your wish, even if it's not the way you wanted it. We need to talk." Arashi stepped back a bit, scratching the back of his neck.

          "This isn't one of those 'buy me stuff or I walk,' or 'let's go and meet my folks' talks, is it?" Haruka shook her head briefly, a look of repressed violence in her eyes.

          "No, but before I'm done, you'll probably wish it was." The young kunoichi sighed, and sat down on a nearby bench. "I'm pregnant, Arashi. Given that you warned off every male ninja over 14 in the village when we started dating, I'm pretty sure the child is yours." Hokage or not, trained killing machine or not, Kazama Arashi took the news like any red-blooded man in the universe would – he fainted.

          "And you call _me_ a wuss," snickered Naruto.

          The scenery blurred again, this time coalescing into a room much like the one Naruto lived in. Arashi and Haruka sat at a small table, Haruka nursing a cup of tea.

          "Okay, I'm still not getting it, Haruka-chan. You're pregnant. The kid's mine. The doctors have pulled you off active Anbu duty. So why haven't we gone to Sarutobi-sensei and asked him to marry us yet?"

          "As I've explained to you already, _Hokage-sama, you can order me into battle at your pleasure, but last I checked you don't have the authority to go around making life decisions for me. Who said I was even going to bear the child?"_

          "WHAT!?" Haruka ignored the Fourth Hokage's roar and sipped her tea.

          "It's not like I'd be the first or last kunoichi to put off having a family until later."

          "I don't believe I'm hearing this." Arashi gazed up at the ceiling, as if trying to summon a god (or three) to help his cause. "This is a child we're talking about, not some kind of pet you can buy now or later. And let's not forget that this is my flesh and blood too, not just yours." Haruka's eyes flashed a dangerous gaze upon her leader-turned-boyfriend.

          "I see. So you're volunteering me to go through nine months of carrying a child, being unable to work, and then a delivery lasting who knows how long?"

          "_NO_, dammit! I just want you to think about more than the one bloody option! There's nothing that says you can't take nine months off, have the baby and then go back to Anbu duty! I have to stay in the village half the time anyway; I can take care of the kid. Or you could give it up for adoption, whatever." Haruka set the teacup down and took his hand.

          "Now who's being unreasonable, love? You say you want a family? A child of our own? Very well. There's your pros. But have you thought about the cons?

          "You just became Hokage a few years ago. Between your duties to everyone here, and my being away with the Anbu, who would _really _take care of the child every day?" She ticked off the first point on her finger.

          "Our enemies would like nothing more than to find out what your weaknesses are, so they can ruin you and this village. Whoever watches our child could be an enemy plant, sent to take the child and then blackmail you into doing what they wanted. Could you decide between this child you seem to want so much and the safety of the entire village?" Another point ticked off.

          "You want certain things out of life, Arashi, but you can't or you won't think about the consequences of all of those different desires. That's no way to raise a child. Can you imagine what our child would go through if he or she couldn't meet your expectations someday? Not everyone is born a genius, Mr. Became-Hokage-On-Wits-and-Determination-Alone."

          The Fourth sat in silence for a while, content to look at the woman who carried his child. When he spoke, it was with the same soft edge to his voice that Naruto had quickly learned to dread.

          "Maybe I'm a little overeager, but I'm not the one who's afraid of change here." Haruka bristled.

          "What's that supposed to mean?"

          "Do I want things out of my life, newer and better all the time? Yeah, sure, I'll admit to that. You, on the other hand, seem to be perfectly happy stuck in a comfortable little rut. You're the darling of the assassination squads, the young prodigy making a name for herself.

          "You really want me to believe that's _all_ you want out of life? To wind up like those dried-up mummies on the Elders' Council, who never married or took the time to have a real relationship? I don't want to have a kid like it's some kind of knick-knack that looks good around the house. I want to leave a legacy behind; not just of me, but of both of us, something that represents the best of us, put together." He grinned. "Don't tell me you haven't thought what your butt-kicking talents and my brains put together could accomplish."

          Haruka laughed softly. "That's the ticket, appeal to my vanity."

          Looking at her, the pain tore through Kazama Arashi's heart anew, even in his son's mind. Twelve years had done nothing for the emptiness he still felt without Haruka. _He's seen enough. Well, I've seen enough, anyway._

          "Time to go." Arashi tapped his son on the shoulder. Naruto slapped his father's hand away, unwilling to leave the memory behind, half-afraid he'd see no more of this woman who felt so familiar, yet stirred no memories in him. Arashi sighed, regret warring with resignation.

          "Now you know exactly why I did what I did, after the Ninetails took her away from us." This time, Naruto _did turn around, clenching his fist._

          "No, damn it. I don't have those memories. I wasn't there. You want to help me stronger, _Dad? Then make me understand! Tell me why I'm the one who's borne all the burdens!" Arashi's voice was a pained growl now, half-fighting back tears._

          "Don't you get it? That was our revenge, Haruka and I. We'd let our child, the combination of our powers and talents, be the one to kill what had taken her life. And maybe, just maybe, by doing so, our child could wind up surpassing us _both_." He laughed, but it was a bitter echo of mirth.

          "There's a lot of the best of her that I see in you, Naruto. When Uzumaki Haruka believed in something, she never let go of it, never stopped believing. She hated the idea of settling down at first; it was Anbu or nothing. But when she started to come around, suddenly she couldn't get enough of talking about what she was going to teach you first when you could walk, or how fast you were gonna become a Chuunin, maybe even faster than that crazy pupil of mine."

          "Pupil?"

          "Hatake Kakashi, born genius, who made Chuunin at the tender age of six years old with yours truly's help." Naruto gaped, trying to match the Kakashi-sensei he knew with a little kid training under Kazama Arashi.

          "You never wondered why he's always trying to help you learn, to improve? I doubt the Third Hokage's ever told him the truth about who you are, but knowing Kakashi, he's probably got it figured out, and he's returning the favor."

          Naruto didn't really know _what he knew anymore. Between a dead Hokage claiming him as a son, finally seeing his mother, and generally being confused out of his skull, it was all he could do to keep from going crazy. He turned away to look at Haruka – could he even call her Mother? – and then at least some of the mess in his head became clear._

          "Teach me." The Fourth crooked an eyebrow upwards as his son turned to face him.

          "Come again, son?"

          "You say you want your revenge? Want me to become strong enough to defeat a demon? Then do the job you've ducked for twelve years.

          "Teach me how to kill the Ninetails." 

Kazama Arashi, Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf style, grinned. And it was a terrible sight to behold.

          "Now _that_, you got from me."

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Another chapter complete! I hope to make the rest as long, or longer (cause I hate really, really short stories like you wouldn't believe). Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, and keep up the critiques! But please, keep the flames to yourself. I burn easy. ^_^;

And now, the inevitable "relationship" question…I really suck at writing WAFF-type stuff, but there will be relationships eventually. They won't be shonen-ai (or shojou-ai for that matter), and they may not be the regular SasuSaku or NaruHina stuff either (there's enough stories about _those_ to please their fans for eons). In fact, Naruto may find himself drawn towards someone he's only met a few times in passing! I'll let you all stew over _that one…_

(1) Sarutobi-sensei, for those who haven't read the manga (or summaries), is the Third Hokage's name. Whether or not he's related to Asuma, I have no idea.

(2) Yes, Kakashi did indeed make Chuunin at 6 years old, and the Fourth was his sensei. Credit for this little factoid goes to narutoguide.com (which, even if it hasn't been updated in like forever, is still the best Naruto resource on the Net).

(3) The Fourth's name? His first name, Arashi, comes from speculation on bulletin boards about a scroll Jiraiya carries around, so it's not real original. As for Kazama, the first character in the Japanese for Kazama is "wind." Given the technique Jiraiya teaches Naruto later in the manga, which the Fourth came up with, wind seemed like a good fit. I won't spoil it for those of you who don't visit MangaZero.


	3. Not So Basic Training

**Naruto****: Bloodlines **

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 3 – Not-so-Basic Training**

Summary: Naruto demanded an explanation of his birth from his father, and got one – in the form of one of the Fourth Hokage's memories, of the day Naruto's mother Haruka told him she was pregnant with Naruto. At least somewhat satisfied, Naruto has asked his father to start training him to kill the Ninetailed Fox.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for Uzumaki Haruka. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will be learning as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ - Thoughts

          "So what jutsu will I be learning first? Fire breathing? Water blasts? What?" Naruto may have been unwilling to acknowledge the Fourth Hokage as his father at first, but the prospect of being trained by a _Hokage, of all people, had turned him around quickly. Thoughts of surpassing Sasuke's flashy tactics danced through his head, along with a fantasy or two of Haruno Sakura. Arashi groaned inwardly._

          _Teenagers… Then he grinned as a thought came to him; had Naruto been paying attention to his father's expression, his enthusiasm would have vanished in a hurry. Absorbed in dreaming of kicking his rival to the curb, he missed the half-cruel expression that flashed across the Fourth's face._

          "I think we'll start with an oldie but goodie, the basic Uzumaki family taijutsu technique. Haruka said her grandfather named this training course the Path of the Diamond Body (Kongou Karada no Michi)." The scenery shifted around them both, until it showed a large clearing dotted with trees of all shapes and sizes. Logs and nets filled with rocks dangled here and there from ropes. Bamboo poles took up much of the space between the trees. Were they for handholds? For balance training? Naruto looked around to get a better idea of what he might be facing. He didn't have to search for long.

          "This doesn't look like a taijutsu training area to me…" His question ended as a log crashed into him from behind, sending him flying into a nearby tree.

          "Oops. Must have missed that tripwire there, son." Arashi didn't have to laugh; Naruto could hear the undisguised mirth in his father's voice.

          "What the hell kind of taijutsu style is this? Dueling with logs?"

          "Nope. I'll let your mother explain." Arashi looked deeper into the clearing, to a spot where his younger self and Haruka stood, facing each other on top of the poles. Well, Haruka was standing, at any rate.

* * *

          "What the heck is this supposed to accomplish? I don't feel any more like a diamond than when I began." Arashi didn't say much more; he was too busy dodging both his girlfriend's attacks and the other traps she was springing on him.

          "Grandfather always was a little senile. He really should have given this training course two names, one being the Path of the Diamond Body, the other being the Path of the Invisible Body (Meimei Karada no Michi).

          "There are two ways to get all the way through this course, from one clearing opening to the other. The Diamond Body was Grandfather's way; train your physical stamina and toughness up to a level where even these logs and rock nets would only feel like a tickle when they hit you." _Who the hell would be that rock-headed OR that tough_? Arashi had already been hit by more than a few logs; he wasn't in any hurry to train himself by letting them hit him again.

          "Okay, so the Diamond Body's not my thing. What's the other Path?" Haruka smirked.

          "Is the high-and-mighty Fourth Hokage afraid of a little pain? I can make it through this course just fine either way, you know." Arashi sputtered a weak denial, flailing his arms in exasperation.

          "_That's because you've been going through it since you were six!" Haruka waved a hand in dismissal._

          "A mere technicality. Fine, fine, the other Path. The Path of the Invisible Body is to train your speed and agility (and balance, for that matter) to where you can't get hit, because nothing will be able to touch you. Grandmother came up with that when she got tired of having to bandage Grandfather's bruises all the time. My father and brother being as macho as they were, I was the only one who ever took her Path." Arashi was as tired of talk as he was of dodging traps.

          "Let's see you run this course, then. Only I'm going to make it a challenge. You have to get hit by all five of the largest logs along the way, but nothing else. And if I see you grimace in pain even once, you lose. Of course, I won't be a total bastard about it; you can use all the tools you want. Kunai, manriki-gusari, you name it." Haruka snorted as she walked towards the beginning of the training course.

          "If that's all you want me to do, you'd better be ready to buy me dinner tonight. And not at that cheap ramen stand, either." She reached into the sleeves of her ninja uniform, and then into her boots, and tossed all of her kunai at Arashi, who leaned out of the way. "I won't be needing any weapons."

          "Then what will you be using, pray tell?"

          "Haven't you heard, Hokage-sama?" Haruka smiled as she prepared to begin, but there was no humor in her eyes. "We of the Anbu _are_ weapons."

          She vanished in a blur, streaking into the clearing like a gust of wind. Arashi could hear the twangs and snaps as tripwires broke, but little else. There were no impacts of wood against flesh, nor had he expected any from Haruka. He glanced into the area where the first large log was located. As Haruka approached, she turned her body in mid-air, lashing out with a kick to trip the wire, and then bunching into a tight ball as the log swung out of the trees. When it struck her, he drew in a sharp breath in reflex, expecting to see her feel the pain of impact. 

Uzumaki Haruka didn't even flinch. She simply uncurled herself, and bounced off a nearby tree, always moving forwards. Arashi just stood there gaping. _Something tells me I ought to be damn glad this girl is on MY side_.

          The dangerous parts of the course still beckoned, nets and snares awaiting her all around. As she cleared a pine sapling, two rock-filled nets swung in from both sides, poised to crush her into a pulp. Even before he could shout a warning, it was over.

          "Fire element! Chakra Kunai no Jutsu!" Twin spheres of energy formed in Haruka's hands, which she squeezed until they formed handfuls of glowing kunai that she hurled at the nets. The resulting explosion reduced the nets and their contents to a dusty cloud, which the kunoichi ran through without a second thought.

          Naruto gazed at his mother's actions in awe, watching her move from tree to tree like a flash of light.

* * *

          "She could kick my butt without breaking a sweat. Because I let her, of course," Arashi muttered.

          "I'm _so sure, Pops."_

          "Hmph. Well, anyway, I take it you get the purpose of the logs now?"

          "Sure! When do I learn how to do those chakra kunai?" Arashi smiled; this time Naruto actually saw it, and regretted opening his big mouth.

          "Oh, it'll come. All you have to do is go to the real-life Uzumaki training ground and master both the Diamond Body and the Invisible Body. Do that, and I'll teach you the Chakra Kunai no Jutsu. Hell, I'll teach you all the jutsus I know." Naruto's facefault shook the ground.

          "WHAT????"

          "Don't tell me you're chickening out _already_." That got his son's attention.

          "Hell no! But why can't you teach me how do it here?"

          "Naruto, Naruto, Naruto." Arashi wagged a finger at him like an old schoolmarm, tsking all the while. "We're in your mind. Anything I teach you here other than a jutsu would be worthless to you in the real world. Your body wouldn't get any stronger or faster, and your chakra wouldn't increase.

          "The Diamond and Invisible Bodies are for you, and you alone to master. When you've done that, learning my jutsus and Haruka's will be child's play." Naruto wasn't sure whether to sulk or to wipe out his father's smug expression with a punch.

          "Typical old man. All talk and no action."

          "No son of mine is gonna get a shortcut to anything, except maybe the back of my hand," Arashi growled. "I'll tell you this much right now.

          "We ain't the Uchihas, born with the Sharingan. We ain't the Hyuugas either, with that whacked-out Byakugan and taijutsu style. I didn't become Hokage because of my bloodline."

          "Then why did they make you the leader?"

          "Because I was the best at doing whatever had to be done, what they ordered me to do. You wanted something scouted? I could get in and get the information without disturbing a soul. Assassination? I wasn't your mother, but nobody ever escaped me. Bodyguard duty? None of my charges ever died anything but a death of natural causes. Bottom line, if it had to be done, I found a way to do it, even if it wasn't the most elegant or high-and-mighty means possible."

          "So basically, they made you Hokage because you were a jack-of-all-trades who was too stubborn to give up on any of his missions." Arashi either missed the sarcasm in the statement or didn't care to acknowledge it. He simply chuckled.

          "And _boy, did it ever piss Orochimaru off that they chose me. Little ol' Kazama Arashi, the cause of creating a rank-S criminal missing-nin._

          "Thankfully, Orochimaru only knows you're the vessel of the Ninetails. Man, can you imagine what he'd have tried to do to you if he found out you were my kid?" The queasy feeling in Naruto's stomach said he did know just that. _Thanks a bunch, Pops._

* * *

          "So where _is the Uzumaki training ground? And the rest of Mom's family, for that matter? I know you said you were an orphan, but she sounded like she had a big family." Naruto looked over at his father as they rested on top of the cliff again, looking out over a memory of the Leaf Village at night._

          "First things first, when you get outta here and finish this stage of the Chuunin Exam, go see the Third Hokage and tell him Kazama Arashi sent you. Then he'll know I've talked to you, and that I think you're ready to face the challenge. He's got my instructions about what to do, including unlocking the Uzumaki training ground for you. It's kind of a distance out from the regular fields and buildings, just like the old Uzumaki house and dojo were." Arashi pointed to a small cluster of lights near the base of the mountain where the Hokages were memorialized.

          "They sure did love their secrets. Course, that bit 'em in the ass when the Ninetails showed up."

          "What do you mean, Pops?" Arashi shook his head slowly.

          "The destruction started from the outskirts of the village and headed inwards. The Uzumakis were the first to go, because they were the first to get attacked. Gramps Uzumaki bought it first, of course, hardheaded old coot that he was. Grams Uzumaki had already passed away, so I guess he wanted to join her. Your grandfather, Haruka's father, didn't make it out of the first week either.

          "The rest of them were lucky. Haruka was on an Anbu mission and didn't get back until the demon had already started attacking. Your uncle Sentaro was on the other side of the village on guard duty, and we kept him from going to 'take his revenge' the night Gramps got killed. In the end, he got his wish anyway, but at least his death meant something. It bought me enough time to think up the plan that took the Ninetails out." The Fourth looked up at the sky, gazing at the constellations he'd long since memorized. They never moved, after all, frozen in his memories.

          "You'd have liked them, I think. And you'd probably have made Gramps Uzumaki proud, as stubborn as you can get sometimes. I'll tell you all about 'em someday. Right now, though, I think you should be getting ready to go back to reality. That exam's not going to pass itself." _Aw, man… Naruto laid back down, suddenly wishing he could stay longer, even if it _was_ with his irritant of a father._

          "Bah, you think this is it? I already told you I'm gonna teach you all those jutsus someday, didn't I? But you got people out there depending on you, and you gotta wake up eventually. Might as well be now." Naruto sat up slowly and looked at the bruises that still covered his body.

          "And do what, Pops? Get my butt kicked by Orochimaru again?" Arashi snorted.

          "Even _I don't expect you to do anything against him. But I have a little something that'll serve you in good stead until you can start training for real. So listen up. This is the Kazama Code of Ninja Behavior. It saved my ass a time or three, and now it's gonna do the same for the rest of your life._

          "Rule One: Know your objective. Orochimaru isn't it. Your job is to get that second scroll, get to the tower, and out of the Forest of Death. Get away from him, if he's still there, and concentrate on finishing the test. Sarutobi-sensei can handle Snake Boy, if he hasn't already."

"Rule Two: Know your limitations. Don't go getting into situations you can't handle. You find a team that you don't think you can take, move on until you find one that's more your level. You're not here for glory, you're here to survive, so don't take any losses you don't have to."

"Rule Three: Keep your emotions in check. They can help, but they can hurt you, inflame your mind. Best thing to do is compress all the things you're feeling into yourself, and think rationally. Only get passionate when you've got no other choice, and then let it all out. That can be a jutsu in itself." Arashi winked, to Naruto's confusion, and then went on.

          "Rule Four: Defeat the weakest opponents first. The credit may go to the guy who kills the leader, but the glory hound who gets cut down from behind by a peon ain't remembered at all."

          "Rule Five (and this is the most important one, kiddo): Never. Give. Up. I don't care how long the odds are, there's always a solution. Can't climb the wall? Go around. Go under. But keep on movin'. Once you lose momentum, you might never get it back again." Naruto nodded, listening with a respect for his father that was growing steadily (even if he would never have admitted it).

          "That all? Seems I've got an exam to finish." Arashi opened his mouth as if to speak, but hesitated. Finally, he sighed.

          "God, Haruka'd call me a wuss if she saw me doin' this…but I got one more unofficial rule for you."

          "And that is?"

          "Rule Six: Whatever happens out there, whatever obstacles you run into, don't you ever forget that I'm proud of you. Your mom would be, too. You're still a ways off from being the kick-ass shinobi we dreamed of, but you're on the right track. Now go back out there and show them all what Kazama Arashi and Uzumaki Haruka's son can do."

          This time, Naruto was the one who grinned.

          "You got it…Father." 

AUTHOR'S NOTES

One more chapter down, and man…I gotta say, those reviews are an ego boost.^_^;

Next time, Naruto's going to wake up in the middle of the weirdest battle he's ever seen, and have to put his new lessons to good use. It ought to be an interesting experience…

With regards to new powers or jutsus, I wouldn't worry much; Arashi's already implied (even if Naruto hasn't realized it yet) that he really doesn't know that many of them. _Haruka, on the other hand…*evil laughter* Let's just say that Arashi has more than one memory of getting his butt kicked by his girlfriend, and he'll have to dredge up each and every one of those painful encounters before this story is over. But it'll take a __long time for Naruto to learn them, if he ever does._

I was actually surprised by one of the reviews…someone nailed two of the possible relationships I was thinking about for Naruto before I'd even dropped the biggest hints about them! Dang…now I gotta think about adding an OC. (Just kidding.) ^_^;


	4. Reality Check

**Naruto****: Bloodlines **

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 4 – Reality Check**

Summary: Arashi challenged Naruto to wake up, get out of the Forest of Death, and then learn the two taijutsu styles of his mother's clan. If he can't, the Fourth won't teach him any of the jutsus he knows. Naruto, being as eager to surpass Sasuke as he is, grudgingly accepted his father's terms, and is about to wake up in the real world again.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for Uzumaki Haruka. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will be learning as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ - Thoughts

          Naruto could have been excused if he'd thought he was still dreaming when he opened his eyes. He certainly hadn't anticipated anything like what greeted him.

          Where there had been trees, there was instead a flat clearing, surrounded by the Forest of Death. Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen. On one side of the clearing were the three Sound-nins who had attacked Kabuto before Morino Ibiki's written exam. On the other, the Leaf Village's Team 8 stood against them, Choji weaving to and fro in a daze, while Shikamaru supported a slumped-over Ino. Rock Lee, he of the bowl-cut hair, lay unconscious on the ground near them. Naruto turned his head slightly, and caught sight of the taijutsu master's teammates standing on a tree branch high above the battlefield.

          Uzumaki Naruto cared for none of that. He'd caught sight of something much more important. Sakura lay behind Ino's team, crumpled to the ground, covered in bruises and not a little blood. She was moving, but with the deliberate slowness of someone who has too many injuries to favor any one body part. _Her hair…what happened to her hair? Did they cut it off? The Kazama Code and most of what he'd just heard from his father vanished in a red haze._

          "_WHO THE #@*&!?$% LAID THEIR FILTHY HANDS ON SAKURA-CHAN?" Naruto stood up slowly, gauging how much of Orochimaru's damage to him had healed. Inwardly, he cursed the snakelike missing-nin; there wouldn't be any repeat of the time he'd gotten angry and wiped the floor with Haku. Not without the Ninetails' chakra to aid him. _Dad wasn't kidding when he said I was on my own for now…_ _

          He thought back to the Wave Country, and their battle with the two former Mist-nins, Zabuza and Haku. He couldn't have won that battle alone, and from what he remembered about Kabuto's fight, this Sound-nin group would be an equal challenge. There was no choice but to team up with that arrogant, self-assured… 

          Naruto's thoughts stopped short as he discovered the person he'd been looking for. Purple energy swirled around Uchiha Sasuke's prone form, shrouding him in an ominous cloud. Naruto's rival didn't stir, other than the occasional twitch on his face. _Of all the times for him to be knocked out, he had to do it now!? Even when I want to team up with Sasuke, he finds a way to piss me off!_

          _So what'll it be, Naruto? Stay here and die like a sissy, or go down swinging? Like there was ever a choice. He reached into the pouch behind his back, searching for something to help him make the first move. Finally, his questing hand closed around an object._

          "Hey, Bandage-Head! If you think you can just pound on Sakura-chan without consequences, you got another thing coming." Naruto raised the clenched fist above his head, ready to begin his assault, and grinned maniacally. "Cause you gotta go through Uzumaki Naruto first."

          No sooner had he spoken than Naruto dropped the smoke bomb he'd concealed, and moved his hands to form a familiar seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

* * *

          Sakura could do little but watch as her teammate (and perpetual annoyance) prepared to rush the Sound ninjas. Ino's team had failed to do much, and Rock Lee's teammates had done nothing but stand there and mock their enemies. What were they waiting for? _Move already, you pupil-less freak!_ Her inner voice screamed. They had to know that Naruto had no chance of winning this fight. _Naruto_ had to know it was hopeless! But there he was, screaming a battlecry in stereo as dozens of clones rushed out of the smoke cloud. _Why? Why does he keep doing this for me? I tell him time and time again I'm not interested, and that stupid idiot keeps on being…well…stupid! _

          A brace of kunai fell into her lap as one of the Narutos sped by her. "Sakura-chan! Cover me! We can still get out of this and get that second scroll!"

          She gaped at Naruto, confusion warring with terror over what he was trying to do – and what might happen to him. "H-how?"

          "Wait for my signal, then chuck all of these at Bandage-Head and that guy with the holes in his hands. With luck, that'll distract 'em while I go take out the girl and even up the odds!" Sakura gasped inwardly. _But that's not the Sound girl, that's Ino! He doesn't know about the Shintenshin no Jutsu!_ She tried to find the words to tell Naruto, but before she could warn him off, the Naruto clone had already moved on, bouncing upwards to ricochet off a tree towards the Sound-nin.

          Zaku laughed, raising his hands as some of the clones came at him. "You shoulda stayed knocked out, kid! Woulda saved you the humiliation! Zankuuha!" Air blasts jetted from the holes in his hands, forcing the clones to scatter away from him. The real Naruto, still hidden, frowned. _Can't get in front of him.__ Have to hope Sakura can keep him facing away from me when I make my move. _

          On the other side, Dosu simply readied his arm-mounted sound amplifier and waited for the clones to approach. If this stupid kid was going to have his clones come straight at him, he'd just oblige, and take them all out at once! As Shikamaru had before him, Naruto paid attention to Dosu's actions. _Forget directions, I can't even get near Bandage-Head. If Kabuto could dodge a punch and still get hurt, I'm in no position to risk it either_.

          The Kazama Code came back to him, and one rule in particular: defeat the weakest first. The Sound-nin girl was just standing there, as if unsure what to do. Ruse or not, she _looked like the weak link, and Naruto wasn't in the mood to think it over. As he'd learned from years of pulling pranks in the village, when it came to harebrained schemes, it was best to trust your gut. The girl would be his target._

          "Sakura! Do it now!" A last group of ten Narutos detached themselves from the shadows surrounding Kin (and Ino), behind Dosu and Zaku, falling toward the entranced Sound-nin. Sakura lay there, paralyzed for a brief moment, and then there was no other choice. Hurling the kunai in either direction, she screamed a warning to her longtime rival.

          "INO! Get out of there! He didn't see you take over her body!" Realizing the danger, Shikamaru quickly scrambled back to Team 8's hiding spot, dragging Ino's unconscious body with him. "Choji, get over here! We're hiding!" Their chubby teammate leaped to safety as Ino made Kin's body form the seal to release her soul. As Ino returned to her body, the Sound-nin slumped bonelessly to the ground.

          Sakura's warning had worked, saving Ino from further injury, and possibly death. It had also left Naruto hanging in mid-air like a hooked fish, his intended landing point gone. Dosu and Zaku, realizing their mistake, dodged Sakura's meager distraction and turned their attention to the real Naruto behind them. _Aw, crud, this is gonna hurt._

* * *

          "Naruto!" Sakura screamed as she watched a Zankuuha send her teammate flying into the tree behind Kin's body.

          "S'okay, Sakura-chan…this nice hard…" Naruto weaved about dizzily, feeling for something to support himself, and reaching the tree trunk. "…tree…broke my fall." He took a moment to gather his bearings, and then looked back at Dosu and Zaku.

          "Heh. That all…you got…_Bandage-Head?" Inwardly, he was seething. _So much for THAT plan, idiot…the element of surprise was all you had, and it's gone_. He closed his eyes, until something snapped him to attention. __Never.__ Give. Up. There's always a solution. _

Sunlight gleamed off the sound amplifier on Dosu's arm, a flash of light like a bright star in the clearing. _The other one has 'em built in; if I take out one arm, he can still point the other at me. Bandage-Head has to take a swing with that glorified cheese-grater if he wants to do any damage. Take the arm away, and you take his power away. But how can I do that if I can't get close to him?_ A little breeze blew into the clearing, ruffling his hair; suddenly, he knew how. _Million-to-one shot, but heck, you only live once. Without the Ninetails' reserve of chakra, he couldn't have attempted this foolhardy idea more than once anyway. Gathering his strength anew, he grinned madly, pushing off the tree and rushing at Zaku._

          "If that's…all you got…then you're going down, freaks!" Again, his hands came together in his favorite seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A line of Narutos streaked across the clearing, aimed directly at the Sound-nin master of air pressure. Dosu roared a curse at the Leaf ninja's audacity, moving to intercept the real Naruto.

          "Ignore me, you punk? Zaku! Send this fool over here, so I can teach him a lesson!" His teammate's mad laughter followed.

          "You'll have to take him in pieces, Dosu!" Zaku stretched his arms out and pointed both at Naruto, grinning as crazily as his opponent. "ULTIMATE ZANKUUHA!"

          Naruto exulted, even as the massive shockwave approached. _Idiots! You actually fell for it! This time, when his hands met, Sakura's eyes widened. __Those seals…what is he trying to do? She soon had her answer._

          Each of the cloned Narutos vanished as the shockwave hit them, until only the real Naruto, last in line, remained. Spinning as tightly as he could, he released the last of his kunai and shuriken into the path of the Ultimate Zankuuha, and then vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a simple log. Sakura gasped. _Kawarimi__ no Jutsu! Then the kunai…_

          With no obstacles in their path, the throwing weapons were caught in Zaku's attack – and thrown directly at Dosu, momentum still taking him towards the place where Naruto would have been blown. Too late, Dosu realized what the Leaf-nin had intended to do by ignoring him: goad him into attacking. Arm already outstretched, prepared to throw his sound attack, the Sound-nin team leader was barely able to fire off one last wave before he felt dozens of sharp, piercing impacts all along his right arm and shoulder, the kunai and shuriken driven deep into his flesh by the force of the Ultimate Zankuuha. Dosu's tortured scream rang through the clearing as he hit the ground, clutching the limp, bloody wreck of his arm to his stomach.

          Naruto never had the chance to celebrate his success. Even as he turned to think of a strategy to defeat Zaku, Dosu's final attack washed over him, turning the world into a sickly image of itself, his vision swirling like a whirlpool. His head was a mad carnival of noise, ears ringing as though they were the top of a bell tower. Naruto fell to his knees, writhing in agony.

* * *

          Years later, Sakura still did not know whether it was frustration, panic, or even, God forbid, love, that had made her open her big mouth at that very moment, when she saw Naruto laid low. All the pink-haired kunoichi knew was that Naruto had rushed into the fray like the hotheaded, hyperactive ninja Kakashi said he was, and was now about to get his butt kicked by the last Sound-nin standing. The fact that she'd helped put him into this predicament by failing to warn him quickly enough about Ino was temporarily forgotten.

          "_Naruto__, you idiot! What do you think you're doing? There's no way you can beat those three without…" Even as the words left her mouth, she knew she'd made a huge mistake. The end of the sentence hung in the air, unfinished, but both Sakura and Naruto knew what it would have been. _There's no way you can beat those three without Sasuke-kun_. _

          Naruto, who had been struggling to rise, stopped short and turned to stare, wide-eyed, at his crush. _The kicker is she's probably right. I can barely stand up straight, and I've got almost no chakra left._ He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

          _Doesn't make it any easier hearing that._

          Naruto didn't have to say it. The betrayal and hurt in his eyes said it all to Sakura. _What the hell were you thinking?_ For once, it seemed her inner self had sided with the spiky blonde ninja. She covered her mouth with her hands, as if to stifle any further talk. Looking back to Zaku, Naruto winced.

          _THIS was a great idea, all right. Get hung out to dry by Ino, blown into trees, miss getting hit by a humongous wind blast, then get my head scrambled by Bandage-Head, and for what? So Sakura-chan could remind me that I still suck compared to Sasuke? _

          "Sakura…" Naruto stopped cursing himself as the voice spoke from behind Sakura. The kunoichi turned around quickly, hearing the familiar voice of _her_ crush, but her joy was short-lived.

          Sasuke rose slowly, still surrounded by the purple energy of the curse seal. A red – was it a rash? – spread out over the left side of his body, forming an odd tattoo-like pattern of black dots on his face, leg and arm.

          "Sakura…who did that to you? Who?" It was Uchiha Sasuke, and yet it wasn't. Even Naruto couldn't recognize the tone of voice, menace implied in every word. The Sasuke he knew was arrogant, even flippant when facing an enemy, but had never sounded quite so…lethal…before. _What did Orochimaru do to them when I was out cold?_

          Dosu rose to one knee, still cradling his useless arm. If Naruto had been a lucky victor, Sasuke represented a genuine threat. The waves of pure power emanating from the Leaf-nin's body wouldn't have been reassuring even if he _had been able to fight. Now, after Naruto's handiwork, Zaku was the only one who could carry out the mission Orochimaru had given them. _The curse seal…to actually get up from it?_ _

          "Sakura, tell me! Who was the one that hurt you?" Dosu watched in horror as Zaku pointed a thumb at his chest.

          "It was me!" _Fool! Do you realize what you've just done? Sasuke turned to face Zaku; as he did, the malevolent-looking seal spread to cover his entire body. Dosu recoiled. _His chakra is too great!_ Zaku didn't seem to notice, bringing his hands together and psyching himself up._

          "Dosu! What's there to fear from some half-dead freak?" The Leaf-nins were all lined up, Sasuke having moved in front of Naruto, who himself shielded Sakura. "They're all together. I'll take care of them all!

          "ULTIMATE ZANKUUHA!" Anything Dosu could have said to stop him was lost; another massive air blast screamed through the clearing, cutting a deep trench in the earth. Everyone in the clearing shielded themselves from the backwash. When the wind stopped, all that remained where Team 7 had been was an empty gash in the ground.

          "Were they blown to pieces?" Zaku stared at his handiwork, gloating over his success.

          "Were _who?" He had no time to turn before a hand smashed into his back, tossing him across the clearing like a rag doll. Dosu looked up to see Sasuke with an arm outstretched, Naruto and Sakura behind him._

          "Zaku!" _He's too fast! To move out of the way while carrying those two… The terror built within him, freezing him in place, waiting for the next blow to fall._

* * *

          Behind Sasuke, Naruto too was frozen, but for a different reason. _Damn it. Damn it! DAMN IT!!! Typical Sasuke, riding in like the damn cavalry. Let's see you try that after Bandage-Head hit you like me and Kabuto…_

          Naruto looked up, staring at his rival's back, and suddenly the anger drained out of him, leaving only a bone-deep weariness. Yes, he supposed he was tired, at that. Tired of being the one to stare at Sasuke's back all the time, of being ignored, disparaged, insulted. Tired of always having to play catch-up. _Some Hokage's son you turned out to be._ He would have cried tears of shame, had he the strength even for that – and then the memories flashed before his eyes, his parents' faces clearer than ever before.

          _…is the high-and-mighty Fourth Hokage afraid of a little pain? _

          _We ARE the weapons… _

          _…you're still a ways off…but you're on the right track… _

          NO! Tired or not, beaten, bruised, or not, he was the son of Kazama Arashi! Of Uzumaki Haruka! To give up on himself now would be the ultimate act of disrespect to both of them. Naruto might not have known Arashi or Haruka for more than a day, but he refused to disgrace his parents any further than he already had. Fatigue vanished, to be replaced by his father's voice. _Know your objective. _

          The Sound-nins' scroll was theirs anyway. Sasuke would have no trouble dispatching Zaku in this super-powered state, the girl was unconscious, and Dosu was little more than a cripple. All that remained was to get to the central tower, give the two scrolls to Anko-sensei, and then… _Then I'll take the first step towards never having to see your back again. When that happens, we'll see who's got whose bloodline beat._ The respect he held for his teammate only went so far, and right now it was at its breaking point. _If he wants to play hero, let him. I'll get my day soon enough. Only heroism didn't seem to be on Uchiha Sasuke's mind at the moment._

          "Fire Element! Mythical Fire Flower (Housenka)!" A quick sequence of seals, and fireballs streaked from Sasuke towards Zaku, who sneered.

          "So what? I'll blast them away!" A Zankuuha quickly dispatched the flames – but not the shuriken hidden within them. Unable to react quickly enough, he could only raise his hands to protect himself from the rain of metal death. Even that gesture would prove futile. Dosu's warning came too late to save his comrade from Sasuke's true attack.

          "Zaku! Below!" The Sound-nin caught only a flash of blue clothing streaking by before his arms were yanked behind him, and a boot thumped into his back.

          Naruto, Sakura, and all gathered looked on in shock as an odd grin appeared on Sasuke's face.

          "So you're proud of these two arms?" Zaku's face twisted into a pitiful mixture of fear and helplessness.

          "Stop…!" As well tell the earth not to spin, or wind not to blow. Sasuke's horrific smile only widened as he pulled the Sound-nin's arms backwards. The sickening crack of bone told everyone what had happened. Zaku's scream was simply the chilling confirmation.

          Sasuke let his broken foe drop and turned his eyes on Dosu, still frozen in place, shuddering as he beheld Zaku's fate.

          "You're the only one left. I hope you let me have some fun." He began to walk towards the Sound-nin.

          _That's not Sasuke. Not the one I know. All events considered, Naruto and Sakura would have been surprised to find out they were thinking the exact same thing at that moment. Only the kunoichi did anything about it. Ignoring her wounds, she rose and threw herself at Sasuke from behind, clasping him tightly._

          "Stop…please. Just stop…" Her tears had the desired effect, as the curse seal began to recede, fading from Sasuke's body, and the Uchiha boy slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.

          Naruto turned away, biting back a curse. He'd seen enough of both of them today to last him a good long while.

* * *

          "You're strong. Sasuke-kun, we can't defeat you at this time, so here's a gift for you. I'll promise you this: if there's another situation where we meet in this exam, we will neither run nor hide." Dosu had left those words, and a Scroll of Earth, before seizing the opportunity to escape with the wounded Zaku and Kin. Ino's team, satisfied that all was as well as it would get, prepared to leave, as did Neji and Tenten, shouldering Rock Lee's limp form. All of them accepted Team 7's profuse thanks; Naruto gladly admitted that he'd not have survived to defeat Dosu without their help. 

          In the meantime, he again had cause to curse Orochimaru, as the tale of the lost Scroll of Heaven was related to him. The Uzumaki training ground would remain locked a little while longer, until they could find another team with the second scroll. He bit his words off in grudging acceptance.

          "Fine. We should get moving, then. Every team in range is going to come through here, trying to find out what happened. We'd be too easy a target if we stayed." Swiveling on one heel, he strode into the forest again, followed by his teammates. Too engrossed in cursing his fate, he missed the two pairs of eyes that followed his disappearing form with an interest and curiosity they had never held before.

          Night fell quickly as Team 7 advanced. Soon enough, their visibility fell to nothing, and shelter was hastily arranged under another giant canopy of roots. Sasuke, still exhausted from the day's events, quickly fell asleep.

          "Naruto? We should talk…" Sakura had been going over the words in her head as they walked, but the time hadn't seemed right to try and apologize. Naruto hadn't spoken to anyone since they'd left the clearing, keeping his attention firmly focused on their surroundings and searching for enemies. Now he was perched on one of the roots that formed their shelter, looking everywhere but back at her. Silence blanketed the shelter for a long moment. 

          "What's there to talk about? I screwed up. Sasuke saved the day. We're back to square one. Business as usual." Sakura almost missed his low growl, not used to hearing Naruto do anything but shout. Before she could respond, he shrugged his shoulders.

          "Get some rest. We'll take turns standing guard; call it three or four hours to a watch. I'll take first watch." For a moment, Sakura thought Sasuke had somehow invaded Naruto's body. The cold indifference in his voice reminded her more of Sasuke's usual attitude towards her advances than the never-ending declarations of love she was accustomed to hearing from the hyperactive ninja. But why did she even care what he thought? Why did this sudden shift in his personality stir an empty feeling inside her? 

"But, Naruto, you're hurt from just now, and from Orochimaru. Shouldn't you sleep first?" He spoke again, back still turned to her.

          "I've been asleep long enough." The odd tone of his voice made her pause, wondering what hidden meaning it carried. "Rest. I'll wake you when it's your turn." 

          Not daring to challenge his order, Sakura settled back down under the tree, next to Sasuke. As she fell into an uneasy sleep, she couldn't help but feel as though a gap had suddenly opened between all of them – one that was widening by the day. 

          Naruto listened until he heard Sakura's breath even out, making sure she was asleep. Then he turned his senses back outwards into the forest, still keeping his objectives in mind. Only when they acquired their second scroll would the real journey begin. Until then, he'd bide his time and do the job he had been assigned. Just as Arashi would have done.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

*gasp* *wheeze* Cranking out a battle scene was tougher than I thought…^_^; Hopefully you enjoyed it, even as nutty as it wound up.

Definitely a darker tone this chapter, but it's all in keeping with what's been going on in the Forest of Death (besides, if every chapter were like the first three, you'd get toothaches from all that sugary sweetness). Things will get happier for Naruto eventually; he just has to grit his teeth and finish this stage of the exam. How long he can keep his rage from exploding, though…well, you'll see.

And man, the NaruSaku fans are coming out of the woodwork all of a sudden. I'm sure I'm gonna get a few flames about Naruto's sudden turnaround, but remember, the story's not even close to being done yet. Just realize that if Sakura ever _does_ decide to pursue Mr. #1 Hyperactive Leaf Ninja, she's going to have a little competition. *evil laughter*

Lastly, I'm thinking about maybe trying to do this beta reader thing I keep reading about. If anyone's interested, drop a line in your review and we'll see what happens.

Next time: With the second scroll in sight, Naruto finds out that acting like Sasuke may not be the best style for him. In fact, the old Naruto may be just what he needs to get out of the Forest of Death and _into the Uzumaki training grounds at last!_


	5. Letting Go

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 5 – Letting Go**

Summary: Naruto awoke in the middle of a huge battle between the Leaf and the Sound ninjas, and nearly went berserk upon seeing Sakura's injuries at Zaku's hands. Jumping into the fight, he managed to defeat Dosu (with Zaku's unwitting help), but was taken down by Dosu's final attack. In the end, Sasuke saved the day by defeating Zaku and acquiring the Scroll of Earth. Now, Team 7 moves on to find its second scroll and pass the second stage of the Chuunin Exam. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like Uzumaki Haruka. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will be learning as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ - Thoughts

Yeah, darlin', go make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once and

Explode into space

-Steppenwolf, "Born to be Wild"

          "So, Kabuto-san, you must really have put a lot of work into those ninja cards of yours!" Sakura's voice sounded needlessly loud to all of them, as Team 7 walked through the forest. Kabuto, who had become separated from his team and hooked up with them, strolled alongside her. Naruto and Sasuke had grudgingly accepted his presence, but their eyes never strayed far from the bespectacled Leaf Genin, the exam fostering distrust of his motives.

          Since the battle at the clearing, Team 7 had continued moving into the Forest of Death, but it was a tense atmosphere to say the least. Nobody spoke unless it was to give an order or report the results of a scouting jaunt. Sakura had found her attempts at conversation rebuffed by both of her teammates, and she still had not been able to muster the courage to apologize to Naruto – not that this new, unfamiliar Naruto would have given her the time of day to do it anyway.

          When Kabuto had showed up, Sakura latched onto him like a drowning person, and pretty much kept on rambling ever since. It helped to dispel the growing emptiness that she felt – some of it, at any rate.

          If Sasuke had noticed her troubles, he kept it to himself, as always. Sakura found it a little ironic. Here she was, continually trying to find ways to show him she cared about him, trying to get him on dates, and she'd failed every time. Naruto had tried the same thing with her, and, getting nowhere, apparently had now given up completely. Did that mean she should do the same with Sasuke? That thought alone had disturbed her into making twenty more minutes of inane conversation with Kabuto, who cheerily listened and offered the occasional response. 

          For his part, Naruto still didn't feel like speaking to his teammates (or Kabuto), but he was feeling a bit better about himself than he had when they'd left the clearing. Contrary to what most teenagers would admit, parental pep talks _do_ help – sometimes.

* * *

          Slow clapping interrupted his sleep from the moment he closed his eyes.

          "I hear someone had himself a little dustup. Have fun?"

          Naruto groaned. The last thing he needed after that colossal screw-up was a…

          "Oh, stop with the self-pity, son. Who said anything about chewing you out?" Arashi snorted. "Believe me, if I was mad, you'd know about it."

          He sat up to stare, incredulous, at his father, who perched on the root of a big tree in the dream Forest of Death. Kazama Arashi waved a hand lazily, sarcasm in his eyes.

          "Honestly, you'd think I sent you out there with an ultimatum to kick the crap out of every living thing in sight, or else I'd disown you. Even _I'm_ not that sadistic."

          "It doesn't change the facts, Dad. I messed up by attacking Ino, and then got taken out by that Sound-nin. If Sasuke hadn't shown up like he usually does, I'd be worm food right now."

          "So what?"

          Naruto paused. _So what?_ That didn't sound much like the words a Hokage would say. Arashi leaped down from the root and sat down to face his son.

          "You want facts? Okay, we'll do facts. Yes, you messed up on Ino, but since you had no idea she was there and you'd never seen her do that jutsu before, it could have been excused.

          "Then, let's look at the odds. Even discounting Ino in the Sound girl's body, it was 2 to 1, and both of them were relatively fresh, while you were still carrying injuries from Orochimaru. Not only that, you managed to whittle it down to an even match before Sasuke showed up, using nothing but Kage Bunshins, Kawarimi no Jutsu, kunai and psychological warfare." Arashi grinned.

          "Considering you have a lot less practical training, experience, and jutsus than any Uchiha would at your age, I figured on a far worse job than you wound up doing. But like you usually do, you exceeded my expectations. Hell, you shattered 'em."

          Naruto gaped up at his father's smiling face, unwilling to believe he was being let off the hook so easily.

          "But in the end it was still Sasuke who finished it off…" 

          Arashi shrugged.

          "Bah, you said it yourself. If he wants to play the hero, let him. Let's not forget that _you_ were the one who bought him enough time to actually get up from that curse seal. _You_ took out Dosu, who might still have been able to do some damage to him if Sasuke had tried to fight 2 on 1 like you did. And they gave up the scroll, leaving you that much closer to finishing the exam.

          "Remember the Code, Naruto. The objective is always the key. Personal performance should take a backseat to accomplishing the mission. That's why they assign you in teams, and not alone. Now, _if_ you can kick everyone's butts by yourself, it makes things a whole lot easier, but trying to do it when you don't yet have the skill level is only gonna leave you disappointed in the end. It's not healthy."

          Naruto relaxed palpably, only to feel a twig bounce off his forehead.

          "You'll note that I _didn't_ say this gives you the right to get cocky. I don't expect you to surpass Uchiha Sasuke or anybody else overnight. I _do_ expect you to keep on doing your best to improve as the days go by, in small steps or large leaps, as the case may be."

          Glimpsing a possible opportunity to sneak in a jutsu, Naruto smirked.

          "And you expect me to do that if you won't teach me anything?"

          "How many times do I have to tell you I know exactly what you're thinking? You're not gonna get any jutsus from me until you get outta the forest and learn your mom's taijutsu first. Besides, I already gave you the Code. Is it _my_ fault you took one look at Sakura and forgot half of it?"

          This time Naruto had the good grace to look sheepish, before his expression deflated.

          "I just don't get her sometimes. Granted she knew I was making a mistake, but you'd think she'd be at least a little bit grateful. After all, I bought her precious Sasuke-kun enough time to play the cavalry."

          "Oh, no you don't." Arashi shook his head. "I'm the last person you want to be asking for advice on women."

          "You got Mom, didn't you?"

          Arashi's hearty laugh echoed through the forest.

          "Son, let me share a bit of wisdom with you. It's a good thing that some women happen to fall in love with some men on their own, because if they didn't, I don't think anyone would ever get married or have kids. Face it; with a very few exceptions, about the only things most men will ever know about women is that they look different from us, pack a mean slap, and are at their most dangerous when they want to know how they look in a new outfit."

          "You can't tell me _anything_?" Naruto asked plaintively.

          "I can't. Haruka might be able to."

          Suddenly, they were sitting at the end of the line of stools inside the Ichiraku ramen stand, watching as Haruka sat sipping some tea next to a young man who seemed to be her Anbu subordinate. The man in question wore a long leather duster and wraparound sunglasses, even indoors, and clutched a tiny bottle of sake in one hand. He was very obviously drunk.

          "So I finally did it, Haruka-sama…walked up to Tenko, held the flowers out, 'n everything," he slurred, gesturing with the sake bottle. "Then I asked her out on a date."

          "And?" Haruka asked, arching an eyebrow.

          "Turned me down…what a surprise. She's never gonna like me," The young man observed morosely, pouring himself another shot of sake and tossing it down. "Might as well just go join Jiraiya-sama's peeping raids." He stopped blubbering when Haruka gave him a resounding slap to the back of the head.

          "Ikegata Kazumasa! I don't care if you're in my squadron or not, or the Master of Blades or not. If I ever catch you peeping on the women's bath alongside that…that…_pervert_, you're going to find out whether that mastery of blades extends to those that have been shoved into some very uncomfortable places." Just then, displaying the abysmal sense of timing unique to him, the pervert in question's star pupil parted the Ichiraku's curtain.

          "Yo, Haruka. Ready to go and get a bite to…uh oh." Arashi recognized two things upon entering the ramen stand: the enraged look in his girlfriend's eyes that appeared every time Jiraiya-sensei was mentioned, and Ikegata Kazumasa, known in the Leaf Village as the Master of Blades, as well as the Dunce of Love. A prudent man would have run for his life; Arashi settled for trying to beat a tactful retreat.

          "Damn, look at the time. Wouldn't you know, I'm late for an emergency meeting with Sarutobi-sensei. Guess we'll just have to reschedule for some other time…" He turned to go, but was yanked back to the stools as Haruka grabbed a handful of his robes.

          "_Oh_, no, Hokage-sama. If I have to sit here and listen to him prattle on about Misawa Tenko again, so do you." Haruka sniffed as she beheld Kazumasa, who was mumbling something as he rested his head on his arms. "_Men_. Are you all so dense that you forget women actually have a say in the matter? It's as though you come up to us with candy or flowers and expect us to fall at your feet on cue."

          "Well, I _did_ offer you dinner too…" Arashi's grin was short-lived, as his girlfriend turned a baleful glare on him.

          "Not. Funny." 

          Just before Haruka's thrown teacup bounced off his forehead, it occurred to the Fourth Hokage that Jiraiya-sensei's boast about being able to charm women with a joke or two might not have been the wisest thing to test at that particular moment. 

Naruto groaned in disgust.

          "Did you guys ever do _anything_ but argue?" 

          "I'll tell you when you're older." Arashi snorted. "The basic lesson is, if you really want to make a point to Sakura, it's best to make her feel as if she's the one in control of the situation. In other words, stop being so persistent and make _her_ come to _you_. That is, if you even want to keep after her."

          For a long moment, his son was silent. Naruto had been chasing Sakura for some time now, and nothing had come of it. As unhealthy as his pursuit of perfection might have become, an obsession over this girl could get just as bad. Arashi decided to keep the outcome of Kazumasa and Tenko's relationship secret for now – lest the boy get the idea that _another_ decade or so of persistence was all that he had to do to succeed.

          "I don't know, Dad. I like her, but what she said back there…"

          "She's biased. You oughta know that much by now.

          "Look, if you really want advice, I say just leave the whole thing alone for now. Mooning over her ain't gonna get you anywhere, getting angry's only gonna make getting out of the forest harder. So finish your job, go train, and get it out of your system. When you're stronger, closer to Sasuke's level, there'll probably be girls lined up from here to the Wave Country chasin' you."

          After a while, Naruto simply nodded. Why waste any more time with fruitless chases of Sakura when he could be training?

* * *

          So here he was, doing his job. Naruto scanned the forest again, trying to gauge the distance remaining until they reached the tower. For some reason, it felt as though they hadn't gotten any closer, even though they'd been on the move the entire day. He wiped a hand over his face as a misty fog passed him, leaving droplets of water everywhere. _Wait…mist? It's the middle of the afternoon and it's been hot all day._

          Suddenly he flashed back to the Wave Country. The last time he'd seen mist this thick appear out of nowhere was… _Zabuza and Haku. Mist-nins in the forest ahead, then?_ No. Or at least, that wasn't all that was going on. It helped explain why the tower wasn't getting any closer. _Genjutsu. Illusions in the mist; and we're all so pissed at each other nobody's noticed or mentioned that we're going in circles._

          Hefting a kunai, Naruto lazily scratched an X on a nearby tree, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Two minutes later, as they continued "ahead," he caught sight of it again. _Unmistakable. We're trapped in their illusion._ Leaning against the trunk he'd marked, he hung back and waited for the rest of the team to notice. They didn't. Sakura was so rattled by earlier events it escaped her completely, Kabuto was busy listening to her, and Sasuke…well, for once it seemed Naruto had gotten the drop on him. _For once._

          "You can come on out, eh? Genjutsu's useless once someone's figured it out!" His shout drew instant results. The rest of the team turned around, realizing their mistake, as three forms coalesced in the mist ahead of them. _It couldn't possibly be that easy._ It wasn't.

          Kunai and shuriken flew out of the mist, streaking towards the Leaf ninjas. Sakura and Kabuto dodged sideways, while Sasuke ducked underneath the assault; Naruto went up, into the trees. Too absorbed in dodging the assault he could see, Naruto missed the kunai that sliced across his leg from a different angle. Merely a flesh wound, but it had the desired effect.

          _Damn! Is it one hiding behind three, creating those clones, or are all three spreading out and surrounding us?_

          A deadly hail of metal filled the forest, thrown weapons flying in all directions, pinning the Leaf-nins in a withering crossfire. There was no time to figure out which were real and which were illusionary; they simply kept on dodging. _Direct approach ain't gonna work. I can't tell where the real kunai are coming from. But if I can't figure this out…neither can the Mist-nins._ Making him remember the Wave Country had been a mistake; his battle against Gatou's samurai at Inari's house was coming back to him, along with a little trick. _I got a riddle for you, punks. When shuriken aren't shuriken, what are they? Pain for our misty pals, that's what._ Gauging the locations of the mist ninjas he knew, three shuriken were quickly dispatched at the shadowy forms.

          The Mist-nins dodged, but just like the Wave Country, Naruto hadn't intended to hit them. _My clones, however, DO intend to hit you_. Three identical clouds of smoke were all the Mist-nins saw before his true attack commenced.

          Naruto ignored most of the fighting, throwing the occasional punch at the Mist-nins for effect. They couldn't be Team 7's actual opponents; nobody that stupid would have made it past Ibiki's exam. No, his clones were fighting enemy clones, a distraction meant to draw their attention away from the real enemy, still firing kunai at their leisure. The blonde ninja instead made his way back toward Sakura, Sasuke and Kabuto.

          "They want clones? I'll give 'em clones. The rest of you get out of sight, maybe try to work your way around and find the real Mist-nins! I'll duplicate you all and keep 'em occupied." They moved silently, leaving him to face their opponents with a familiar phrase.

          "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

* * *

          Sasuke could have told Naruto from the beginning that something was wrong with the entire situation. As usual for him, he didn't say anything. Had it not been for his teammate's continuing refusal to treat him with any respect at all, Sasuke would have thought another ninja had infiltrated their group like Orochimaru had tried to do. This Naruto wasn't…Naruto. There was very little shouting, and rational thoughts actually seemed to be going through that spiky sea urchin-like head for once. Not only that, he was actually taking a leadership role and doing well with it!

          Sasuke wasn't sure if he liked that. He couldn't have stopped Naruto in this shape anyway, but it still stung him that, had it not been for the other Genin's actions in the clearing, he might now be dead at the hands of Orochimaru's minions. How would he ever kill his brother if his teammates were the ones saving _him_, instead of the other way around? The young Uchiha rather enjoyed being the one to save the day all the time, not that he would have admitted it. Having so many people look to you felt good even if it really was irrelevant to his goals.

          A voice lurking deep within him, one he usually ignored, whispered in his mind. _Are you sure that's all there is to it?_ It was no secret to Uchiha Sasuke that he had many admirers (as well as rivals), but very few friends. Having to come to grips with living alone and a vendetta against your brother will do that. At times he didn't care; friends needed saving all the time, and he didn't have the time or desire to go out of his way and pull someone's fat out of the fire.

          But did Itachi's path lie down that road as well? Sasuke didn't know why his brother had slaughtered their family; perhaps, in the end, it didn't matter, as long as he was brought to justice. He just wasn't sure that he wanted to become Itachi in order to kill him. What would be the point? Even if he _did_ want to make some friends, what were his options?

          Sakura was, well…a special case. He knew she liked him, maybe even thought she loved him. Did he dare to return that affection, knowing that he might throw it all aside when he was ready to pursue Itachi? Even worse, would settling down with her someday dull his edge, take away his determination? She just didn't understand that any real relationship between them would always come second to him.

          And, as always, there was Naruto. Once nearly useless at everything, he seemed to be growing by leaps and bounds each day. How soon would it be before Sasuke was chasing _him_, instead of the way it was now?

          Things had been changing a little. Both Naruto and Sasuke had found respect grudgingly growing between them – until the Forest of Death. Sasuke didn't have to be reminded that Naruto's last memory before he'd been knocked out by Orochimaru was of a scared, petrified boy who had been willing to fail the exam just for an uncertain chance of preserving his life. Not only that, his exploits in the clearing had had a definite effect on his teammate. Where there had been respect, and even a hint of friendship, now Sasuke only sensed resentment from Naruto, perhaps even outright hatred. Why did it even matter to him that they weren't friends, or even friendly rivals? It wasn't relevant. Only his brother was relevant. Wasn't he?

          For the first time in a long time, Uchiha Sasuke felt uncertainty creeping into the narrow focus he had shaped his world around. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Shaking it off, he continued to follow Sakura and Kabuto deeper into the forest. He'd think about it later…maybe.

* * *

          Back on the battlefield, Naruto had no time to think. Quickly transforming the three clones he'd made, he led his fake Team 7 into battle. _Buy time, but don't get too close. One hit and the clones disappear; then they realize I'm the only one who's really still around._ The whole thing had basically turned into a long-distance sniping match, both sides unwilling to reveal their true positions and resorting to volleys of weapons instead. The old Naruto would have lost patience by now and charged; the new Naruto was about three minutes from doing that anyway. He'd had enough of dodging a bunch of kunai.

          What alternative was there, though? Until Sakura and the others got into position, he could do little else but wait. Unless…

          _Unless I make their jobs a little easier._

          It was easy enough to lure the Mist-nins out; he simply dropped to the ground behind a large root, gasping for breath, joined by the three clones. Now things were getting interesting; the stream of kunai continued, but this time they seemed to be merging. _The bastards know where I am; looks like the real Mist-nins think they can go for the kill._ Naruto watched them close in, hazy forms becoming more and more defined. _You'd better be on the ball, Sasuke. I'd hate to have to let your clone get humiliated by a bunch of cowardly knife-chuckers because you couldn't do a simple flanking maneuver_. 

          To both Sakura and Sasuke's chagrin, Kabuto noticed the Mist-nins first. Holding out an arm to stop the kunoichi's advance, he pointed a finger in the direction they'd come from.

          "Sakura-san, look. Seems they're coming out of hiding. We should wait a moment and then move up from behind." 

          "How do we tell Naruto we're ready?"

          The Leaf Genin grinned and held up a blank version of his ever-present ninja trading cards.

          "I think I can take care of that."

          Something whizzed past Naruto as he prepared to tackle the real Mist-nins. Not seeing the dull glint of light off metal, he prepared to dismiss it, but took a look anyway. When he saw the little brown card stuck in the trunk of the tree behind him, he smiled. _Seems that guy's more useful than I thought. Time to clear the field._ Leaping over the root, he charged at the Mist ninjas just as the real Sasuke, Sakura and Kabuto's attacks diverted their opponents' attention.

          "Hey, guys, forget me already?"

          This time he felt the satisfying feeling of flesh striking flesh as his fist crashed into the jaw of the rear-most Mist Genin. His smile didn't last long, though, as the other two ninjas rounded on him, twin blows to the chest forcing him back and taking advantage of his retreat to escape back into the forest, leaving Team 7 alone again.

          Just as Naruto prepared to scream a frustrated curse, he stopped. Arashi's calm voice echoed in his thoughts. _Keep your emotions in check…Best thing to do is compress all the things you're feeling into yourself, and think rationally._ But how to finish it? Their ploy had failed, and now the Mist ninjas would be even harder to flush out.

          Another hail of kunai passed just a hair's breadth from his face. _Or maybe not._ As the mist thickened, solid forms emerged again, but no kunai came from their position. _Great. So which ones are real, and where are they? _ 

          It was long past time to just cut loose and throw caution to the wind. Eventually the Mist ninjas would run out of kunai; he just had to hope this little kamikaze charge wouldn't get him in the path of what throwing weapons they had left. Leaping forward, Naruto hurled a few more shuriken in the general direction of the Mist-nin before lashing out at the first form he saw. This time, he wasn't so lucky; the Mist ninja blocked and sent him reeling with a short jab to the chest. As he rebounded off a tree, a flash of memory stopped him short. _That didn't feel like the same punch, but it was the same movement. Same form, less power…think, Uzumaki, think! Where have you seen this before?_

          A bandage-swathed face and a massive sword swam before his mind's eye. Momochi Zabuza's first battle with them had begun much the same way, only more directly. And in the end… _Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu. Water clones. Solid, but far weaker than the original…that's why the mist has gotten so thick, like back on Tazuna-san's bridge. They waited until the mist got thick enough, and then hid again. Only this time, their clones' attacks are real enough to confuse us even further while they hide and throw kunai._

          Kakashi-sensei had taken the direct approach and beaten up Zabuza's first few water clones; with fog this thick and three fresh opponents instead of one, Team 7 could do that all day and still lose a war of attrition. They had to do something, and fast.

          Sasuke exulted inwardly as his Sharingan reduced the situation to a no-brainer; the water clones showed up in his vision as nothing more than blobs of chakra, while the Mist-nins fairly glowed with the exertion of creating so many clones. Should he tell Naruto, and risk incurring further anger from his teammate? It _would_ finish the job more quickly, and after everything that had happened it was probably best to just let them all finish this stage and get some time away from one another. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, that opportunity vanished forever – and things would never be the same for Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto again. 

* * *

          Naruto would never have called himself a genius, not even after learning who his parents were. Almost all of the successful battle plans he had come up with had involved him getting his butt kicked fairly thoroughly at some point, whether as bait or simply to make a point, like recovering his forehead protector from Zabuza. Arashi had called it a natural outgrowth of a lack of training; his son knew better. Sometimes adversity just helped you think. This was one of those times.

          _There's gotta be something I can do without asking Sasuke to go blowin' fireballs everywhere. Bah, in his condition I don't think he could even produce a spark anyway. Gotta find a way to end this myself. Think, Uzumaki! What happened to being rational? Dad said the Code was all I would need to get out of here…_

          Arashi's voice came back to him in fits and starts, but what he could dredge up was no better than a riddle. _There was another half to that rational thinking rule…what was it? Only get passionate when you've got no other choice, and then let it all out. That can be a jutsu in itself._

          Clarity of thought is rare in the world; when it comes, it almost seems like a miracle. Zen masters find enlightenment in such moments, philosophers find their one true calling, and ordinary, regular people just find themselves for perhaps the only time in their lives. In Uzumaki Naruto's case, all he found was an answer to his question, but it was more than enough.

          _That can be a jutsu in itself…a jutsu in itself…_

          _Dad, you total bastard. You could have just taught me and saved yourself from thinking up five more rules around it._ Suddenly, Naruto just had to laugh softly to himself. His father did, indeed, know exactly what his son was always thinking.

          _You could have, Dad…but that just wouldn't be my style, and you knew it._

          It had been sitting right under his nose ever since the Sound-nin battle, and he had missed it completely. To gather every negative emotion within him, combine it with his fierce determination and passion, ball it in with his chakra, compressed to the smallest point within him, and then…just cut loose. To turn his emotions into a raging inferno that would consume his foes, and not himself.

          Sasuke's arrogance, Sakura's indifference, the villagers' attitudes and unfair treatment of him…dark, bitter memories flashed before him, and then he simply forgot them, letting them fall into the growing ball of chakra he could feel inside. Now they would be his fuel, and not his burden. _Today, I begin a new life. Konoha's going to see a Naruto they ain't never seen before!_

          The seals came naturally to him, hands flashing to and fro in a rhythm that Arashi's or Haruka's might have, once upon a time. But when it came time to attack, this new jutsu's name was uniquely his…as it should have been. As Arashi must have wanted when he left his son to figure it out for himself. His eyes opened, and Naruto roared in triumph.

          "Nice try, punks! But as with life, all things must come to an end! Fire element! NARUTO BAKUDAN NO JUTSU (Naruto Bomb)!"

          Heat filled the forest first; a short thermal pulse, almost like the overture to a symphony. The enemy had no time to react to that before a white-hot corona of fire exploded from Naruto's position, flash-boiling the water clones and sending the Mist-nins flying through the forest to land in a battered heap, singed, burned and smoking.

          In that moment, long-held perceptions vanished. Kabuto's eyebrows rose slowly, the Genin letting out a slow whistle of appreciation. Sasuke shut his mouth, wondering anew what this new Naruto was capable of. And Sakura gasped as she watched the explosion's aftermath, Naruto glowing faintly with an energy and strength she'd never seen from him before. Quickly searching through the Mist-nins' clothing, he pulled out a slightly singed copy of the Scroll of Heaven. Then, panting slightly from his exertion, he looked up and winked at her. 

          "Now that's what I call going out with a bang."

* * *

          "Well done, everyone." Kakashi's smiling face greeted Team 7 at the tower when they finally arrived; Kabuto had rejoined his group and left already, leaving the three of them to finish the exam.

          "Where's Anko-sensei?" Sakura wondered.

          "It's classified, but since you've already encountered him, I'll tell you. With Orochimaru here in the village, we're suspending the Chuunin Selection Exam for a while. Could be a week, could be a month, so stay ready, and don't slack off on your training, eh, Naru…well, that's odd. Where'd he go?" Sakura looked around, and caught no sign of Naruto. Again, she felt a little twinge of emptiness, realizing she still hadn't been able to really talk to him about what had happened between them. Why did it suddenly mean so much to her anyway?

          Kakashi shrugged and shook his head in exasperation.

          "I guess he's gone home already. If either of you see him, let him know we'll be meeting as usual once a week until the exam starts again."

          For some reason, Sakura felt as though she wouldn't be seeing Naruto again for a long time. As she looked back onto the Leaf Village, she wondered if he really had gone home.

          But at least one person in the Leaf Village already had an answer to that question – he hadn't.

          "Hokage-sama?" The Third Hokage looked up from his crystal ball and searching for Orochimaru to see Naruto kneeling in a formal position before him. The village leader smiled. He'd known this day was coming for 12 years.

          "Yes, Naruto?"

          The boy looked back at him, that infernal grin on his face, eyes tinged with a hint of steel that hadn't been there before.

          "I've spoken with Kazama Arashi, Hokage-sama." Naruto bowed, and then rose slowly. "I'm ready."  

          The Third Hokage watched his successor's son for a moment, and finally nodded. 

"Indeed. Rise, then, and prepare yourself. Your training will begin in the morning." 

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Yeah, I know, I took a little longer than usual to update this time. When that happens, just know that the chapter's usually gonna be a little longer to make up for it. My free time's kinda restricted until August, so expect longer breaks, but longer chapters.

Anyhow…addressing some of the reviews. I have no idea where people were getting the idea that this would somehow end up as SasuNaru. As I've made abundantly clear, there are way too many of those stories already; plus I can't write shonen-ai for the life of me anyway. So please, don't bug me about it. It's Sakura, or any other female I choose to pair up with our hero (maybe from outside the Leaf Village, even; Temari's been done, but Shizune's still out there). Make as many of those suggestions as you like. ^_^;  

If you've read my bio, you know I'm not too fond of Sasuke, so writing that little passage in his POV was like pulling teeth for me. Nevertheless, I think it came out well, and I may still wind up making him and Naruto friendly rivals, if not all buddy-buddy. Just don't expect it in the near future…;-) 

And finally, Kazumasa Ikegata will be reappearing later on in the story; you didn't think I named him the Master of Blades for nothing, did you? *evil laughter* 

Next time: The time has finally come! Uzumaki Naruto is about to take the first step towards passing Arashi's challenge, when he becomes the first person in 12 years to return to the Uzumaki dojo and training grounds. What will he find? What can he learn? Tune in, and find out…


	6. A Time To Go Home

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 6 – A Time To Go Home**

Summary: Team 7, joined briefly by Kabuto, ran into a team of Mist Genins who confused them for a while with clones and water clones of all types. Finally, Naruto was able to decipher the riddle Arashi had left for him in the middle of the Kazama Code. Reviving an old jutsu, he gave it a new name – the Naruto Bakudan no Jutsu (Naruto Bomb), and won the battle by knocking out both the clones and the Mist-nins all at once. Now, with the Chuunin Exam suspended, Naruto has free rein to begin training at the old Uzumaki compound.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like Uzumaki Haruka and Ikegata Kazumasa. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will be learning as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

It's my turn to fly  
A proving ground tonight  
Try to be the best that I can

Grown to be a man  
Only humans could understand  
I fill my lungs with fear and I exhale

It's my turn to fly  
Father, be with me tonight

I'm right on target (keep your dream alive)  
It's my turn to fly  
Gotta prove this tonight

-The Urge, "It's My Turn To Fly"

          People think of many things the morning after any life-changing event. That was especially true the morning after Team 7 returned from the Forest of Death. For most people in the Leaf Village, Orochimaru was the focus. Would their children be safe? How had the criminal managed to evade security and enter their home in the first place? Did he have anyone else working for him?

          Uzumaki Naruto, fortunately, wasn't most people. After scarfing down his usual morning meal of instant ramen and assorted junk food, plus regular milk (his last experience with the raw stuff had taught him a rather painful lesson), he pulled the directions that the Third Hokage had given him from under his pillow. "Go to the base of the mountain," it said, "and then head east until you come to the Uzumaki house. Don't ask, you'll know it when you see it."

          As he headed out, the young Genin looked up into the sun. Its bright rays were a welcome sight after spending three days in the gloomy forest. Today would be a good day, and rightly so. _Maybe once I've gotten familiar with the training ground I can practice the Naruto Bakudan again…see if I can't learn to control the power and range. Otherwise I'll probably fry some poor Genin when the Chuunin Exam starts again._ The thought of turning Sasuke into a crispy critter brought on a little snicker, and Naruto whistled a jaunty tune as he strolled towards the Hokage monument.

          Across the village, Haruno Sakura rose slowly out of bed, blearily blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Getting a full night's rest in an actual bed felt like a luxury after living the forest life. The pink-haired girl winced as one of her remaining bruises brushed against the sheets. Luxury was not what she needed right now; training was. Sasuke was still miles ahead of her, and Naruto had gone from a hothead with some power to a decent threat after only being knocked out. Sakura? Not even close. When had she become the third wheel of the team? Things had to change, or else she might as well just stay home. What use was there in being a Chuunin if the enemy could take you out with scant effort?

          Now was the perfect time to start getting stronger again, with no missions to go on, and the exam suspended. She could go and ask Kakashi-sensei to tutor her, and she might even have a little fun in the process! It was the perfect idea! Feeling more energized than she had in weeks, Sakura prepared to leap out of bed and greet the new day.

          It probably would have been a good idea for her to untangle her legs from the sheets first, however.

          "Ow." As she picked herself up from her little faceplant, it seemed the new Sakura was a little behind schedule. All the more reason, then, for her to rise with what dignity she had left, dress and head out to find Kakashi-sensei.

          The Jounin in question was sitting in the Konoha infirmary, across the table from a grim-looking Mitarashi Anko. The examiner of the Second Test rubbed her neck as they both looked over at Sasuke, resting in bed.

          "You think he's still around?" Kakashi asked the other Jounin quietly. Anko knew who her counterpart meant.

          "Maybe not in the village proper, but he's close. Probably having his people bring him reports about what's been going on since he attacked the Uchiha boy. Orochimaru knows Hokage-sama would settle his hash if he took him on directly."

          "I never would have expected this to happen, not least when there was an exam going on." Kakashi sighed, his visible eye closed. "Orochimaru knows Sasuke's mindset well. Maybe too well. With that desire to get stronger, he'll have a hard time controlling the effects of the curse seal. If he should falter…" The Copy Ninja balled his fists. The prospect of killing one of his own students to keep him from turning traitor was not a happy one. Especially when it was someone as talented as Uchiha Sasuke.

          Things had him spooked lately. From Orochimaru to his misgivings about the Chuunin Exam, the curse seal, and even Naruto's odd disappearance, nothing seemed right in the Leaf Village. Hatake Kakashi felt a little guilty for not going to find the hyperactive Genin, even though he knew Sasuke was the real priority.

          _He's grown up fast, Sensei…I wish you could see him. Naruto's come so far in such a short time, it's scary. He gets more and more like you every day._

          Arashi's prediction to his son had, indeed, been correct. Almost from the moment he laid eyes on Uzumaki Naruto, Kakashi had uncovered his former teacher's last secret. The child might not have been _named_ Kazama, but his features and spirit told a different story. But what to do? Arashi-sensei had never told him to look out for his son; indeed, the Fourth had never told Kakashi anything about having a child. Should he have protected Naruto? The boy wouldn't have stood for it, as independent as he was. Besides, that would have been showing favoritism; not Kakashi's style. He'd uneasily settled on trying to keep the boy safe until he could figure out what to do. Things had spiraled out of control from there, from Zabuza to Haku, and now Orochimaru. When he should have been keeping his charges safe from harm, they had saved him instead, Naruto and Sasuke freeing him from Zabuza's prison. And when the criminal missing-nin had struck, he hadn't been there at all. Of all things in life, Hatake Kakashi hated not being able to protect his friends and comrades. After that incident… He had to do a better job of looking out for them from now on. The only question was who to protect first, and how?

          Painful as it was, there was no avoiding reality. He needed to supervise Sasuke and work the boy through this seal first; the safety of the village demanded it. Kakashi only hoped that Naruto could stay out of harm's way until he could find a way to repay the debt he owed to Arashi-sensei. _Forgive me, Naruto. You'll be on your own a little longer, it seems._

          At that moment, Uzumaki Naruto could have cared less what anyone else was thinking. Now he understood what the Third Hokage meant when he'd said he'd know the place when he saw it.

          A tall wooden arch stood in front of him as he cleared the tree line, the name "Uzumaki" carved in beautiful hiragana on a wooden plaque at its apex. Beneath it lay a path of crushed stones, lined with stands of bamboo. And at the end of the path…

          It wasn't much of a place, as houses in the Leaf Village went. Wide and spread out, rather than the tall apartment building he was used to, and its dilapidated appearance gave him an odd feeling. Was it regret? Loss? As he saw the Third Hokage approach, Naruto pointed a thumb back at the residence.

          "Hokage-sama…how come I wasn't brought here when my parents died? It's a big enough place, after all."

          The Third sighed as memories of the Ninetails' attack assailed him.

          "Because of who the Uzumakis were, Naruto. They were the most secretive clan in the village, almost all of them Anbu or retired from it. There are traps in that house that nobody other than an Uzumaki would know how to disarm or avoid; so many that, with most of the family gone, having someone take care of you here would be suicide. Perhaps once you have completed your training here, you'll be able to move in and make it safer for others.

          "For now, I suggest you come with me. The training ground is separate from the house and dojo, and it's safer…figuratively speaking."

          Naruto noticed the large wooden box the Third carried under one arm as they walked around to the back of the house.

          "What's in the box?"

          "Your father's instructions, both to me and to you." The Third looked down at the box and thought back to the night he had received it.

* * *

          "You look like hell, Arashi-kun." 

          The Fourth Hokage looked up from the scrolls he was packing into a box, to see his predecessor striding into the room.

          "Yeah, if you're going through hell, might as well look the part." His face haggard, Kazama Arashi continued packing.

          "Getting ready to evacuate?" The Third's halfhearted joke fell flat; they both knew Arashi wasn't planning to run.

          "Don't tell me you're actually going to try this harebrained scheme. You said it yourself; this is a suicide mission."

          "Without Haruka…" Arashi gritted his teeth. This was not the time to fall prey to emotions. There _was_ no time for anything but the job at hand. "I can't kill the demon outright. The Tenchi-ken was one of the only ways we might have done it, and I can't do it alone. It has to be a paired jutsu. All that's left is to weaken the Ninetails and seal it away; then I'll join her."

          "So you're going to seal it in a box?" The Third looked at the growing pile of scrolls within the container, arching an eyebrow. _High-level stuff_. 

          "Hardly. These are for Naruto. If he's to become strong enough to kill the Ninetails, he'll need training. In my absence, these will have to do. I've written out everything I know, from what I taught Kakashi to what Jiraiya-sensei taught me." Stuffing the last scroll in the box, Arashi shut the lid and handed it over to the Third.

          "I hate to do this to him…and to you, but secrets were made to be kept, after all. We can't afford to have him grow up weak or coddled. If his bloodlines become common knowledge he'll be a hero, a sympathetic figure. No…as much as I'd like people to know the sacrifice he'll be making, for the sake of everyone, I'd rather he grows up on his own, unheralded. With the Uzumaki Clan almost wiped out, there's nobody to take care of him anyway." 

          "He's your son, Arashi." The Third shook his head. "Nobody deserves a life like that. At least let me try to find one of the other Uzumaki clan members out there. Perhaps the other sennins would know."

          "Believe me, sensei, I've tried everything. But without Jiraya-sensei in the village, nobody knows where to find Tsunade. Even if we did find her, she's just a distant relation. No guarantee she'd return just to raise a kid she doesn't know. And other Uzumakis? Forget it. I don't know them, and they didn't know of our Uzumakis. Better to leave them be in their own villages.

          "Besides…" Arashi's mouth twisted in a savage grin. "I never could resist the opportunity to go for a little poetic justice. This way, Haruka's son will get to take revenge for his mother. Not only that, he'll take the demon's strength for himself. No better vengeance than that."

          "He won't be avenging you, then?"

          "Hell, no." Arashi shook his head slowly, an odd smile on his face. "After what I'm going to put him through, he's going to want to kill me himself.

          "When he's ready, sensei…give the scrolls to him. They'll say what needs to be done better than any stupid will or letter could."

          "As you wish, Hokage."

* * *

          The words were roughly written, a hasty scrawl marred by the occasional dot of ink on the paper. The Third had handed Naruto two scrolls from the box before he unlocked the gate to the training ground and headed back to the village; he was now looking at the scroll marked "Introduction."

          _I don't know how to do all that dramatic crap, so I'll just cut to the chase. If you're reading this, Naruto, it means you're ready to start training yourself to kill the Ninetails. The place you see before you is the ancestral training ground of the Uzumaki Clan, where the Diamond Body and Invisible Body taijutsu styles can be learned, and eventually mastered. Under no circumstances are you to reveal the secrets you learn here to ANYONE, not even your friends or teachers. Not only could it come back to hurt you, but, well…your mom would kill me if she ever found out I'd let the Uzumaki techniques slip._

          Naruto kept his legs slightly bent as he strolled into the training grounds, still reading the scroll. He remembered the last time he'd been here, and wasn't too keen on being hit with another log. As he approached the spot where the dream log had swung out of the sky, Naruto stopped short – just in time to get slammed to the ground by a net of rocks. Where the hell had THAT come from? Looking down at the scroll, a loud curse escaped him.

          _Time for your first lesson; don't bother trying to memorize the course layout. The entire course is set up with a timed mechanism that switches all of the obstacles within it into random patterns every day. The only things that never change are the entrance and exit._ Naruto could have sworn he heard his father's snide chuckle on the wind.

          "Dad, when I get my hands on you, you're a dead man! Or dead ghost…uh, well, dead spirit! Oh, hell, you're just dead! You hear me? Dead!" He stopped yelling when he saw the next paragraph of the scroll.

          _And don't waste your breath cussing me out about it. I wasn't the one who set this thing up anyway. If you've got the strength to complain, you've got the strength to do something about it. So get off your ass, go back to the entrance and read the scroll first before another trap gets you._ Painful lesson learned, Naruto beat a hasty retreat.

          _Okay, now that you're ready to start, you need to make a plan for your training. You've got three basic choices: learn the Diamond Body first, learn the Invisible Body first, or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can try to learn both of them at once. According to your mom, it's possible, but it's been a generation or five since any Uzumaki's managed to pull that off. Of course, as our son, that means you should have no problem at all with it._

          Naruto rolled his eyes. "Ever heard of something called modesty, Dad?"

          _Take today and maybe tomorrow to get yourself familiar with the course. If you get yourself beat up some, don't sweat it. You'll get used to it, or you'll get so fast you won't have to. Once you've done that, it's time to pick up all the equipment you'll need to use here._

          A short list of odd items followed; Naruto scanned it, getting more and more puzzled as he continued. What did steel plates and ring weights have to do with a zipper-pocketed jacket and pants? Bandages he could understand, but why a ball and chain?

          _There's a few pros and cons to start. The Diamond Body is painful to learn; I ain't gonna sugarcoat things. But you may want to either learn it first or do the two-in-one method (hint hint). I say this because the Invisible Body can be misleading if you master it first. You'll get so fast that you won't want to absorb the punishment that the Diamond Body requires. If that happens, you've just cheated yourself out of a valuable technique. Wouldn't want that now, would we?_

          "Probably just wants to see me get pulverized for kicks," Naruto snorted.

* * *

          Two days later, a battered Naruto staggered into the training ground, dragging a huge bag behind him. "Getting familiar" with the place had meant absorbing tremendous punishment from all sides. With the obstacles constantly changing position, he was basically one big bruise from head to toe.

          As for training choices, there really hadn't been any – not after Arashi's first scroll directed him to read the "Chicken Scroll" if he chose anything other than learning both styles at once. His father hadn't appeared in any dreams the past two days, so Naruto was reduced to grumbling as he opened the scroll marked "Dual Path Training."

          _I'll assume you've got all your stuff and you're ready to get started. Step one: Get the steel plates and ring weights, as well as the zipper-pocket clothes. Insert one plate each in the shoulders of the jacket, and one ring in each pant leg. And, of course, put the clothes on_. 

          Naruto clapped a hand to his forehead. "What am I, five years old?"

          _No, it's not armor. Well, at least, it's not intended to be armor. You'll note that you can't move as easily as before; don't worry, that's the idea. This builds up your strength for both paths. Gradually, you'll notice that it gets easier to move around each day. When you can move with the same speed as you did before you put the plates in, add another set of plates and rings. Quite simple, really._

          _Of course, there's an added bonus. While learning the Diamond Body, you'll find that your natural danger sense will make you try to dodge the mid-air traps whenever possible. If you're trying to train toughness and stamina, that doesn't help you improve. The extra burden of the weights will keep you from being able to dodge as easily, and you'll be forced to toughen up instead._

          "I _knew_ he wanted to see me get pulverized."

          _Step two: Do one run through the course, to get yourself used to the sensation of being slowed down. Then go home. By the time you get through this first run, you probably won't be in any shape to do anything but get some sleep anyway._

          "Says you, old man." Naruto rewrapped the scroll slowly, gauging the slowness of even this slight movement. Perhaps instinctively, he'd purchased the heaviest weights available. The set he wore now felt like an anvil on his shoulders, and it wasn't so much walking as it was like trudging through a deep bed of mud. No dodging, indeed.

          Walking over to the starting area, he knelt, gathering strength, and then he was off. Unlike the old training ground from Arashi's memories, pressure plates and other sensors had apparently replaced the tripwires. Naruto had no idea when or where to expect an attack. Running into the first clearing, all he could do was keep his eyes peeled.

          There. Out of the corner of one eye, a log descending from the trees. He had to dodge…no, wait. Thinking back to Haruka's methods, Naruto leaped up instead, trying to meet the obstacle in mid-air. Unfortunately, he didn't have the benefit of Haruka's training, especially in geometry and physics. Curled up into a ball, Naruto did manage to meet the log. Unfortunately, he'd met it at an angle that bounced him right into a nearby cluster of poles and trees.

          By the time Naruto had ceased to be a human pinball, his father's instructions actually made sense. A bath and a couple days of sleep sounded damned good.

          Of course, he'd have to get through the rest of the course first. _Oh, that does it. Too slow to dodge, too hurt to run. This course is toast._

          Gamely advancing, Naruto grabbed onto poles and tree trunks as best he could, feeling movements he could have done blindfolded turn clumsy and slow, missing paths he could have taken through the course just yesterday. It was rough going; frustration building quickly. THAT was all according to plan. By the time the exit came in sight, he could barely summon the strength to move. It didn't matter. One last assault loomed, and the Genin could feel it coming. That was perfectly all right; he was prepared this time.

          _Screw control; give me some power!_

          "Naruto Bakudan no Jutsu!"

          Rage and anger exploded outwards to meet wood and stone; nature lost. The conflict was over before Naruto's shout had even had time to echo through the woods, dust and dirt blanketing the clearing. Scorched ropes smoldered, dangling in the air where the traps had been. 

          "What do you have to say to THAT, Dad?" He unwrapped the scroll, wondering what Arashi had scheduled for the next day.

          _Oh, right. Forgot to tell you something the first day. No Uzumaki Clan means nobody to maintain the training ground but the trainee. In other words, you break it, you bought it. Destroy a trap and you'll have to put the logs or rocks back by yourself before the course will work right again. Axes and saws are in the toolshed behind the house, along with extra rope. Don't forget to lift with your legs, huh, kid?_

          "DAD!!! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

* * *

          "Somebody oughta warn that Sakura girl about your temper."

          "Don't start, Dad. If I could move, I'd kick your ass back to wherever you were hiding for the last 12 years." Naruto lay on his bed, the dream shaping itself to his will for once. Well, except for the bruises. Those had stayed.

          "Well, you've made it through three days. Pretty good. I thought for sure you were gonna pull a Ghost Girl."

          "Pull a what?" Naruto gingerly turned his head to face Arashi, leaning back in a chair with his feet on the lone table in the room.

          "Well, she had a name, but it was so long ago the villagers had forgotten it even back in my day. I heard the story secondhand off another Jounin, when I became Hokage. There was this girl in the Academy who was born brilliant; the best trainee the teachers had ever seen, sure bet for Jounin at a young age, maybe even Hokage, but she was bone lazy. On the day of her Genin exam, she never showed. Turns out later she slept through the whole thing. They gave her two more chances, she slept through those, too, or just blew 'em off. Flunked out of the Academy, never even made Genin. After that, nobody ever saw her in the Leaf Village again. So we call her Ghost Girl, 'cause she just up and disappeared. Couldn't take it."

          "Weird. I'd hate to be her parents." Naruto wondered why anyone would throw away the chance to be a ninja.

          "You'd hate being her a lot more. Imagine the ridicule, the shame she'd have to go through. I understand why she left; better to start anew, even if ya can't be a ninja. Go find something else to do, get your mind off it."

          "I guess…but doesn't anybody wonder what happened to her?"

          Arashi snorted. "You can wonder all you like, but you'd be better off getting some sleep and resting those bruises. Ghost Girl can handle her own affairs without our help."

* * *

          Some say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In this one case, however, it began with a single, explosive sneeze inside a busy restaurant.

          "ACHOOO!"

          The petite waitress standing on the other side of the room started in surprise, and the tray of dirty dishes in her hands began to fall to the ground.

          "I better not hear a plate crack, or else it's comin' outa your salaries, slackers!" Gruff and loud, a voice rang out from the kitchen, though nobody was at the window looking out. It was obvious this was business as usual. Less obvious was the lithe form streaking across the room to catch the falling tray in one hand, while balancing a similar tray.

          The offending waitress sighed in relief as she watched her coworker come to her rescue. "Oh, thank you, Setsuna."

          Her savior was a willowy woman in her early thirties, black bangs drooped almost to her eyes, which themselves looked half-closed. Setsuna put her tray down and returned the dropped one to its owner.

          "Well, I caused the problem, Miki. Might as well fix it."

          "Do you have a cold?" Miki's brow furrowed in concern.

          The raven-haired waitress shook her head. When she spoke, it was with an easy drawl, like she couldn't be bothered with health or anything else. "Nah. Musta been someone talkin' about me. Can't imagine who that coulda been."

          Again, the voice from the kitchen. "Get back to work, ya slackers! You can admire your tray-catchin' skills when we ain't got a lunch rush to deal with!" 

          "Screw you, Slinger!" Any thought that the waitresses disliked their target vanished when the customers saw the smiles on their faces. Simple banter between old friends, and nothing more. Then they turned back to their meals, and all was right again.

          "Bartender, another round of sake for my ninja waitress. Saved me fifty bucks in new dishes at lunch again!" Slinger Ozaki, Head Chef of the Udon-ya Restaurant, waved a hand in Setsuna's direction as she and Miki lounged on the other side of the bar booth.

          "How many times I gotta tell ya to stop with the ninja stuff, Slinger? Not a ninja, don't wanna be one. Too many responsibilities, all those missions. Who'd want that life?" She regretted saying it the instant the words left her mouth, as the cook went into his would-be hero mode again.

          "You kiddin'? Assassins in the night, climbing walls like spiders! Shadows to the left, shadows to the right, you sneak up on 'em anyway, and POW!" Miki and Setsuna had already leaned out of the line of fire. Years of experience had taught them that Slinger's drink always came flying out of his glass at the height of his fantasy. The big man sitting in the next booth over, however, didn't know Slinger Ozaki. Judging by the look in his eyes as he wiped off the remains of a shot of hot sake, all he wanted to know was how long it would take to turn the cook into a bloody pulp. Slinger was apparently thinking the same thing about his opponent, from the look in his eyes.

          "Got a problem, buddy?"

          _Oh, not AGAIN._ Setsuna and Miki looked at each other, and then at the ceiling in exasperation. Their roles in this recurring drama were well-established. Miki grabbed Slinger and yanked him out the back door with surprising force, leaving Setsuna to face the offended drinker.

          "Hey, big boy. He's drunk; let it go. It's only sake."

          Setsuna groaned inwardly as, like most foes in this situation, the man simply looked her up and down. The thought that she might be a threat didn't even register to him. _Thinking with the other head, are ya?_

          "Enjoy the show? Then get outta here and drop the thug act. Don't go makin' trouble ya don't need." Like most of the people she'd faced over the years, he didn't even move.

          "I think your pal owes me an apology and a little exercise. You'll do, for starters."

          "You sure, big boy?" Setsuna's drawl had dropped all the way down to a whisper. "I'd hate to be the one who had to tell his friends he got his ass kicked by little ol' me."

          "Like to see you try it, girl." His sneer wiped the feigned fatigue right out of Setsuna's eyes. Her opponent stepped back a pace when he caught his opponent's new expression.

          "Then throw down, already. You're such a tough guy? Make the first move." He didn't need any more prompting; getting taunted by a woman half his size was more than enough motivation. A ham-sized fist sped at her face. It never got there.

           The few patrons still left in the bar gaped as Setsuna's hand shot out and seized her opponent's lead arm by the wrist, stopping it cold. A second later, if their jaws could have hit the floor, they would have. A deft pressure point pinch and arm twist left the big man kneeling on the floor in agony before the waitress delivered a short, brutal knee to his head, scoring a knockout. 

          "I really gotta find myself a new line of work." Rubbing her knee, Setsuna grumbled to herself as she walked out of the bar.

          How long had it been? A year? Five? This was the longest she'd stayed anywhere since things had gone wrong. Perhaps it was time to think about moving on. Absent-mindedly, she looked at the little box on the mantel in her apartment. It was a happy memory, of sorts; a home that had all but forgotten her – and the one person who hadn't. Opening up the lid, she scanned some of the letters within the box.

_Hey, sis. Things haven't changed much. We tried to talk Grandfather out of it, but he's set on disowning you, and as Clan Leader, he can't be overruled. I guess you don't really care, but it still sucks. _

_Hi again, sis. Hope you're doing well; just remember to send the letters to Emiko's house; she doesn't have to worry about HER grandparents scanning everything in the mail. I swear, ever since I started dating that guy I told you about, everyone here's paranoid or something. Anyway, let me know if you're moving and send me something when you get there, so I know where to reply._

          It had been a welcome reminder that someone still cared. She'd hated the life of a ninja – that was no lie. Nobody understood her when she said she'd do missions if they wanted, but preferred to live a carefree life. It was just too much pressure and nonsense. She could have done it, but with so many willing candidates, the village was set for life. What did one little Genin matter? To her family, it mattered more than she'd thought.

          Only her younger sister had kept in touch – and even those letters had stopped. Turning the last envelope over in her hands, Setsuna opened it. It had only been read once, and she'd been running from it ever since.

_Sis, I don't really know how to say this, but by the time you read this letter, I'll probably be dead. The village is under attack by a fox demon, and nobody we have can stop it. Arashi-sama thinks he has a way to seal it off, but he's been at it for two weeks and he's still not done with the new technique. Grandfather's dead, and so is Daddy. In the end, Daddy stood up to the demon more than he ever did to Grandfather. I guess he felt guilty about what happened when you left. Strange way of showing it, though. _

_I suppose I should apologize; been hiding a secret from you the last few months. That's why you're getting this letter, really. I need a favor, and it won't keep. _

Setsuna closed her eyes, shame bringing unwanted tears to them. For twelve years she hadn't read past this line; hadn't _wanted_ to read the end. She owed no duty to the Leaf Village, or to her clan. But her sister… _Can't be carefree forever, girl. Everyone's got some responsibilities. Past time you faced yours, instead of hiding here and kicking back._

          She opened her eyes slowly and, hands shaking, unfolded the last part of her sister's final letter.

_I have a son, almost two months old now. His father and I didn't see eye-to-eye on how he should be raised, so we haven't married yet, and he's still part of our clan. But right now, I'm about to go out there to fight the demon. I know I'm not coming back. Arashi-sama still needs more time; I think I can give him that. But it could mean leaving my child an orphan, and that's just not going to happen before I make backup plans. _

_People here have forgotten you, even if you seem to think you're some legendary failure; it's safe to come back. I know it's a lot to ask, but I'd feel better about this fight tonight if I knew my child was going to have someone to watch over him when I'm gone, should his father follow me into the grave (as that over-emotional idiot probably will). I'd be honored if you were that person, Setsuna._

_If you don't want to come back, I understand. No matter what you decide, know that I'll always be there, wishing the best for you, hoping you're safe. That's what family is for, right?_

          Setsuna looked out at the moon as she slowly packed her bags. Slinger and Miki had been her family here, but blood was blood. She'd been running away long enough. Time to go home, and hope that she wasn't too late to take up the duty that had been given to her. Time to go and find her real family again. As she prepared to leave, the letter lay on the table, its final lines burned into her memory, lending her resolve.

_Your loving sister,_

_Uzumaki Haruka_

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Don't be fooled by the all Sakura, all the time that's been happening in the past few chapters; it's just because she's the only girl who's been around to see Naruto evolve and grow. As he gets further along in his training, more options (and opportunities) will open up. Sakura's not going to get our hero without a fight, as promised.

You guys must be psychic or something, because I've had big things planned for Tenten since the beginning of this story. Not making any promises here, other than to say she'll be more of a main character (and not a bit player) before long, and so will the rest of her family.

The Tenchi-ken will be explained further as the story goes along. For now, let's just say that Arashi and Haruka doing jutsus at the same time makes for some extremely powerful results. Will Naruto learn it? Who knows? *evil laughter*  

Yes, there IS at least one other Uzumaki still alive, and she's on her way back to the Leaf Village! What will this mean for Naruto, having an aunt even lazier than Shikamaru? ^_^;

Next time: Naruto's training continues, and the secret of the training grounds may be out already! But who managed to catch our hero in the act? And what will he think when someone shows up to claim him as a nephew, of all things?


	7. Journeys Large and Small

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 7 – Journeys Large and Small**

Summary: Naruto began his training at the old Uzumaki compound, and made it through the first three days, although he's currently sleeping all of his bruises off before he goes back. In other news, Kakashi decided to train Sasuke to overcome the curse seal, while Sakura is on her way to ask for Kakashi's tutoring.

While dreaming, Naruto and Arashi discussed the story of the Ghost Girl of Konoha – a talented, yet lazy girl who declined to become a ninja and left the Village. That girl turned out to be Uzumaki Setsuna, Haruka's older sister, who was working as a waitress in a faraway city. After a bar fight, she looked through Haruka's letters and finally read the end of Haruka's last letter, which asked her to return and take care of Naruto. Facing up to responsibility for once, she has decided to go home and find her nephew.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will be learning as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

Everything's changing  
When I turn around  
All out of my control  
I'm a mobile

-Avril Lavigne, "Mobile"

          "Leavin', huh? Think this place ain't good enough for you anymore?" 

          Uzumaki Setsuna sighed. Slinger and Miki's reaction to her intentions weren't out of the ordinary, but she hated long goodbyes. Between emotional stuff, tears and packing, this trip was turning into one big pain in the butt. _This kid of Haruka's better not be some spoiled brat._

          "Slinger, this doesn't have anything to do with the Udon-ya. I like it here. But I've got a job waiting for me back home; can't just keep staying on here and running away from it."

          Miki nodded. Always a sucker for a dramatic story, Haruka's letter had reduced her to several hours of tears and blowing her nose.

          "Slinger, it's not like she's going away forever. Think of it as a long vacation!"

          "Yeah, fine. Look, I ain't yer ball and chain. If ya gotta go, then do it. We'll be waitin'." Slinger crossed his arms and tried to look unconcerned. Always awkward with emotions, he failed.

          "Aw, hell. I know I sprung this on you guys kinda quickly. How about we go out for one last night on the town, celebrate before I split?" 

          _That_ got Slinger Ozaki's attention.

          "You're payin', right?"

          "This kid _really_ better be worth it." Setsuna mentally waved goodbye to her wallet. When the three of them got really worked up, budgets and accounts everywhere were liable to collapse in ruins.

          Later, as she walked on the road back towards the Leaf Village, Setsuna had to think back and wonder whether Haruka had heard that complaint – and done something about it. 

* * *

          "Whaddaya think I am, Slinger, a money tree? We are _not_ going in the casino."

          Halfway into their night of partying and random entertainment, Slinger had dragged the three of them towards the only casino in the out-of-the-way town, still full of suckers and gamblers of all kinds even close to midnight.

          "Said ya wanted to live it up, right? Take a chance for once in yer life."

          "Just because you get a rush from blowing your money here doesn't mean everybody will, Slinger," Miki sniffed. "Honestly, if you'd save some cash once in a while, you wouldn't always be asking me and Setsuna for loans."

          Whether or not the younger waitress genuinely cared about their boss, Miki almost always attempted to steer Slinger towards more useful pursuits and morals. Most of the time, she got nowhere.

          "Aw, come on. Everything evens out in the end. When I hit it big, you'll get all your money back!" Slinger turned on whatever was left of his charm. It probably would have left his two waitresses swooning – had they been drunk, desperate and several decades older.

          "For Pete's sake…" Setsuna had had enough. Grabbing Slinger and Miki's hands, she dragged them both towards the very first game she saw, a wheel that bore several odds multipliers on its face, ready to be spun.

          "Once and for all, I'm gonna prove that this place is nothing but a huge waste of money!" Pulling out everything left in her wallet, Setsuna slammed the wad of cash down in front of the young, pimply-faced worker manning the wheel. "Step aside, kid. One spin and we're out of here."

          "Setsuna! That's more than three thousand yen! What are you trying to do?" Miki looked at the entire scene in horror.

          "Teaching this idiot the value of money, that's what. I work my ass off for this stuff when I'd rather be sleeping; and he pisses it away here. So let him see what happens when people wager stuff thinking it's all gonna 'even out.'" Turning to the wheel, she yanked it down with a savage jerk and then turned to go. "I'm out of here."

          Before she had gotten five steps away from the wheel, a shout froze her in her tracks.

          "OH, MY DEAR SWEET LORD!"

          Turning around slightly, Setsuna caught sight of Slinger and Miki still staring at the wheel, faces ashen and gaping.

          "Okay, what now? Hypnotized by all that fools' gold?"

          "Y-y-y-y-y-y-you…" Slinger could only point at the wheel, speechless.

          Setsuna glanced towards Miki, looking for a saner viewpoint. She slapped her forehead as Miki copied their boss.

          "Y-y-y-y-y-y-you…"

          "I-I-I-I-I-I WHAT? You two gone bonkers?" Then she caught sight of the wheel. The needle had stopped, pointing at the lone slice of the wheel marked JACKPOT.

          "Well, whaddaya know. Slinger was right for once in his life? World's coming to an end." Setsuna looked at the casino employee, pointing a thumb at the wheel. "What's a jackpot pay?"

          "Ten thousand to one." Hands shaking, the young man looked down at the pile of cash on the table. "Roughly estimating from what you bet, you're up more than 30 million yen, Ma'am."

          Slinger Ozaki fainted dead away.

          "Ya gotta let me come with ya, Setsuna! That's enough cash to build a new restaurant; hell, enough to build _ten_! Forget the Udon-ya, we could all start over in your village! Whaddaya say?"

          Once Slinger had been dragged out of the casino, had water splashed in his face, and gotten over crying about "missing his big chance," he had started in on Setsuna. The ex-waitress looked over at Miki with a questioning expression.

          "Well, it would be nice, I suppose. Things just wouldn't be the same with only me and Slinger here." Miki smoothed back her frizzy red hair and giggled as Slinger got down on his hands and knees and started kowtowing. "Besides, you know he's never going to quit begging until you say yes."

          _I just know I'm gonna regret this, but it's easier than having to listen to him beg for another six hours or so._

          "All right! ALL RIGHT! You two can come with me already. Now would you shut _up_?"

          "Ya mean it?" Slinger sprang up with surprising speed.

          "Hold it, big boy, this ain't a free ride. I got conditions."

          "Name it." Money signs were dancing in the chef's eyes as he awaited her response.

          "I'm the boss now. No more of this 'slacker' junk coming from you; Miki and I work when we feel like it, as hard as we feel like it. I think you're not treating us with the proper respect, you're out on your ass. Got it?" 

          "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, chief." Slinger might as well have been a robot, for all the attention he showed.

          Setsuna sighed.

          "I'm _really_ gonna regret this."

* * *

          A country away, Naruto was regretting something for a different reason. Preparing to return to training, he had gotten barely a block from home when he noticed a medium-sized cardboard box scurrying behind him, out of the corner of his eye. _Aw, crud. Not those three_. 

          Flexing his knees slightly, Naruto leaped up onto the roof of the house across the street, intent on leaving Konohamaru and his two cronies behind. He normally didn't take Arashi's comments too seriously, but his training was important enough that the Fourth Hokage's words sunk in for once. Nobody else could be allowed to learn the Uzumaki techniques; whatever edge he might gain would quickly vanish.

          Still stiff from three days of being pounded by traps, Naruto couldn't move as fast as he wished; the weights on his shoulders and legs weren't helping. So he wasn't surprised when, three houses later, the box was still scrambling along the street after him. With such reduced mobility there was no way he could outrun them. Bowing to reality, Naruto leaped backwards off the roofs, landing behind the box. _No training for a while_.

          "All right, you idiots. How'd you find me this time?"

          Konohamaru's muffled voice echoed from inside his hiding place.

          "Leader, you clank when you walk. It's hard _not_ to notice you."

          "Would you get out from under that stupid box?" Naruto bristled. He had to deal with the kids, but he didn't have to like it. "It never fools anyone!"

          While it was a good lesson for the three kids, Naruto probably should have kept his mouth shut. The box exploded as it usually did when Konohamaru was "discovered," sending multicolored clouds of smoke billowing into the air as Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi were revealed.

          "Leader, will you play with us? It's been so boring with everybody away in the forest!" Moegi coupled her request with the deadliest form of genjutsu known to man – Puppy Dog Eyes no Jutsu. Had Konohamaru asked, Naruto would have denied him outright, but the little kunoichi was too cute to resist. Besides, after getting beat up so badly, he wasn't too keen on going back to the training ground for another day or two.

          "Yeah, sure. Just don't go running off too far; dangerous people are still in the village, and I'm not in any shape to be saving your butts like last time."

          "YAY!"

          "I'm probably gonna regret this, but what the hell." Naruto growled to himself as he followed the Konohamaru Corps in the opposite direction of the Uzumaki house. His actions did not go unnoticed.

* * *

           "Looking through houses again?"

          Hyuuga Hinata jumped as the soft voice startled her out of the Byakugan, solidifying the objects between her and Naruto. She turned from her seat on a bench to see her teammate, Aburame Shino, sitting down next to her.

          "W-well, I thought I would practice. Neji-kun is always looking at birds, so I thought I'd try looking through things instead. He wouldn't like me copying him."

          Shino shrugged.

          "You really shouldn't worry about what others think of you, Hinata. It's your life to live."

          Hinata twiddled her thumbs absently. "I know that…I just don't like to make trouble."

          The ghost of a smile flittered across Shino's face.

          "For once, I think you should follow Kiba's example. He couldn't care less what others think of him, as he usually lets everyone know." 

          Hinata giggled. Team 8 didn't have a true "leader," but from watching the constant conflicts between Kiba and Shino, an outside observer would think the two boys wanted to settle the issue once and for all. Hinata knew they both respected each other too much to actually pull rank, no matter how many subtle insults they threw at each other. They weren't friends, but they'd band together before they let anyone else get the upper hand.

          "Akamaru would bite anyone that disrespected Kiba anyway, Shino."

          "I could give you a hive or two of wasps." Shino grinned.

          "Forget it. With my personality, they'd probably turn on me first."

          Hinata's timidity was half a running joke and half a problem for Team 8. Shino normally said nothing about it, since he himself preferred the conservative approach. Kiba, on the other hand…

          "Oi, what's with you two? You got nothing better to do than sit around, then we oughta go train or something."

          Shino grimaced. _Speak of the devil…_

          Inuzuka Kiba, as usual, strolled up with the brashness that defined him, Akamaru perched on top of the fanged Genin's hood.

          "What about it? Shouldn't waste this break time. Everyone smart's gonna be looking for every advantage they can get while the Exam's suspended. And I'm no idiot."

          Shino snorted. 

          "Could have fooled me."

          "Bite me, you bug-loving freak!"

          "Sorry. Dog blood doesn't interest the guys here."

          Hinata smiled as Shino and Kiba continued the argument, all the while moving towards their usual sparring grounds in the forest. It was just business as usual for Team 8. Still, her teammates had brought up some good points. Things weren't going too well the way she was now; unassertive and behind everyone in strength. Perhaps once she got stronger and more confident, Naruto would actually do more than greet her and move on.

          She shouldn't waste time. Knowing Naruto, his strength was growing day by day; to catch up, she'd have to be just as dedicated. Resolving herself to work harder, Hinata followed her teammates and went to train. Her dreams would have to wait a little longer.

* * *

          Daydreams were on the mind of another Leaf ninja, but this time it was Nara Shikamaru. Leaning back on the balcony outside his room, he stared up at the clouds, pondering what the day held. Choji was off somewhere, probably stuffing his face to make up for losing a few days' worth of meals in the Forest, and using the Meat Tank no Jutsu against the Sound Genins. That was no problem. Unfortunately, his _other_ teammate hadn't shown up yet. That meant he was about due for another round of…

          "Shikamaru! Get off your butt and let's go get some training in! We've got better things to do than sit around all day and stare at nothing!"

          Just like clockwork. Shikamaru wondered if Yamanaka Ino had been born pushy and overbearing, or if something had turned her into the holy terror of Team 10. If she'd been born that way, he didn't envy the poor sap that married Ino someday. _Heaven help Sasuke if she ever gets her claws into him. He'll wish he'd chosen Sakura, all right_. 

          The platinum blonde kunoichi glared up at her teammate, frustration evident in her eyes. Had she been less experienced with Shikamaru, Ino probably would have tried to possess him with the Shintenshin and move him herself. Now she knew it was just a waste of time. As usual, his slow response sent her temper soaring.

          "The hell should I bother with that troublesome crap? Go train yourself. You can't go possessing everybody and you don't know how to do anything else."

          "Then I need a sparring partner!"

          "Ask Choji. He can take the punishment, and he needs the exercise anyway."

          "Argh! No wonder we're so weak. I've got a human vacuum cleaner and a lump that calls itself a ninja to work with!" When Shikamaru was like this, Ino knew she wasn't getting him to go anywhere. If even Asuma-sensei had trouble motivating him, nothing short of dynamite was going to pry her teammate off the balcony.

          Shikamaru turned his attention back to the clouds once Ino had stormed off, not bothering to think about where she might go. It was such a pain in the butt anyway. As much as he liked Ino as a teammate, he wasn't fond of her constant pushing. _You'd think that if I never talk about her Sasuke obsession, she'd leave me alone_. 

          Team 10 wouldn't have looked like this if things had been left to chance. Their parents had been looking to recreate the Ino-Shika-Cho formation that had worked so well for their generation, and Iruka-sensei had gone along. Unfortunately, the adults hadn't counted on the kids' different personalities. Neither did they remember that the three-ninja formation had only formed out of years of teamwork in close quarters, building the trust and camaraderie that made it work. If Ino wasn't pitching a fit, Choji was kicking back and eating something; that made it tough for any of them to build confidence in the team. _Adults. Ain't a damn one of them that tries doing something for us without screwing it up_.

          Shikamaru might have been a little lazy (okay, a LOT lazy), but he wasn't stupid. The longer this experiment went on, the more likely it became that Team 10 would just self-destruct someday. That'd be troublesome for all of them. Maybe it'd be best if he actually did go and train. Once they made Chuunin the team might not stay together as much, and things could cool off. He might even be able to deal with Ino as a regular girl, and not a screaming harridan.

          Rising slowly, Shikamaru headed downstairs and out of his house, intent on finding Asuma-sensei. Just this once, for the team, he'd leave the daydreams at home.

          Halfway to the Akimichi house, Ino simply stopped and turned towards the forest instead. As bad as Shikamaru was when he got into lazy mode, Choji was worse when he had access to food. Yelling at him wasn't going to improve things, any more than trying to move Shikamaru had.

          No matter what the others in the village thought, Yamanaka Ino hated having to be the motivator. It wasn't fair. Sakura had gotten paired with Sasuke, and she didn't even have a cool, unique jutsu at her disposal like the Yamanakas did! Instead, Ino had gotten Shikamaru and Choji. They weren't bad, and they did get along most of the time. But the reality was that they _were_ weak, even as a team. Weaker than Sakura's team had been, and probably further behind now, after what had happened in the forest. Between the curse-powered Sasuke and this new Naruto, Team 7 had made Team 10 look like exactly what they were – flawed and unprepared. Or at least, that was what it had felt like to Ino.

          It still sounded weird to her, even after a week of playing the memory back, but just once, Ino wished that Shikamaru were a little more like Naruto. The passion and tenacity in his eyes had been undeniable even when he was only the class clown of the Academy. But when Naruto had turned himself loose against the Sound-nins, she had seen him go to a completely new level. This was someone who actually seemed to _care_ about being a ninja. Granted, he was a little hotheaded, but it had to be better than sitting around daydreaming and playing shogi like Shikamaru. If Sakura hadn't warned her…

          Ino shivered. Naruto wasn't a clown anymore. He might not be in Sasuke-kun's class yet, but it wouldn't be for lack of trying. The looks of despair, then savage determination she'd seen in his eyes when Sasuke had rescued him had told her as much. In spite of everything, the blonde ninja found herself admiring – and envying – Sakura. _She has two people on her team who'd be willing to die for her. And what do I have?_

          Not a whole lot, really. Perhaps Shikamaru had been right about one thing. She didn't know much other than the Shintenshin, and that was a dangerous gamble. It was long past time for her to grow stronger, more than a threat to just one enemy. Once she made Chuunin, she could let someone _else_ deal with her teammates. And maybe find out whether a certain spiky-haired ninja would be interested in helping her improve… _Maybe THAT will motivate Shikamaru's lazy butt._

          Many journeys would begin in the Leaf Village that day, revolving around the son of the Fourth Hokage in some way. The most important one to Naruto would soon arrive, to take him along for the strangest ride yet.

* * *

          "Uzumaki Setsuna. It's been a while." The Third Hokage waved his guards off the ex-waitress as he entered his office. "I take it you've reconsidered my offer to reinstate you at the Academy?" Like most of the Hokage's jokes, this one fell flat too.

          "Hardly." Setsuna took Haruka's letter out of her pocket and slid it over to the Third. "It's true I'm taking up a duty, but this one's purely personal."

          The leader of the Leaf Village grunted an affirmative as he scanned the letter.

          "Frankly, this is a surprise. Haruka never spoke a word about you in public after Kotaro disowned you." 

          "She knew better." Setsuna harbored nothing but bitterness towards her grandfather, and made no attempt to hide it. "Told her before I left it wasn't worth antagonizing the family over me. I said the same to Sentaro."

          A younger brother and sister dead, and here she was, picking up the pieces. Setsuna couldn't help but wonder whether she'd have been standing here today if things at the Academy had gone the way their family wished. The Third sensed her hesitation.

          "Before I take you to go find your nephew, would you like to go see the Memorial to the Fallen? Kotaro, Daigo, Haruka and Sentaro are all there now. So is your nephew's father, the Fourth Hokage, Kazama Arashi. That part of Naruto's bloodline is to remain a secret from the village, as per Arashi's instructions." 

          "That's the kid's name? Uzumaki Naruto?"

          "Yes. Don't be too surprised. He may not look much like Haruka, but his spirit is all hers."

          "Surely you didn't stick him in the old house…" Setsuna didn't remember much about the village, but she did know how dangerous the Uzumaki house could be for the unprepared. 

          "Nobody would be crazy enough to live there, Setsuna." The Third had been in Uzumaki Kotaro's house often enough that he knew the dangers. It had been hard enough to find someone to watch over Naruto every so often in a _regular_ house.

          "Well, I am, and he's coming with me. Past time someone fixed the place up again." Setsuna looked out in the direction of the mountain memorial, and down towards her old haunts. "But my brother and sister come first."

          The Third Hokage nodded. "As it should be."

          "You drive a hard bargain, sis. But I don't make promises I can't keep; so consider this that favor I owe you."

          Setsuna looked down at the names engraved in the rock, those ninjas who had died in service to the Leaf Village. The Hokage had left to summon Naruto, allowing her to be alone with her thoughts. Her eye strayed to Sentaro's name as well, as memories assailed her. Growing up had been something of a struggle for all of them, with parents and grandparents so often gone on missions. The clan wasn't well known among any but the most elite of Leaf Village leadership, but they were expected to uphold family standards and honor all the same. Setsuna had hated it; Haruka and Sentaro had coped better. _And where did it get them?_

          When she had refused her third chance at the Genin test, Uzumaki Kotaro had made his displeasure known. Her grandfather had challenged her to a fight, agreeing to release her from the Academy if she won. Only Haruka's intervention had saved Setsuna from serious injury or even death at Kotaro's hands. Agreeing to take her sister's place in the family's lineage and the duty of becoming an Anbu member, Haruka took up the burden that Setsuna had once shouldered. It seemed she hadn't looked back.

          Tracing her younger brother's name, Setsuna recalled a struggling kid, trying to live up to his ancestors' legacy, yet knowing that he was powerless compared to his two elder sisters.

          With rare exceptions like Kotaro and Setsuna's father Daigo, talent in the Uzumaki line usually skipped over men. Uzumaki daughters could produce brilliant children, but only for other houses. The sons almost always had to wait until their own daughters were born in order to contribute much to the house. From what the Third Hokage had told her of Sentaro's demise, her little brother had finally had enough. For the only time in his life, he had equaled Haruka's exploits, dealing so much damage to the Ninetailed Fox that it backed off for a week. _Too bad he wasn't around to enjoy it_. 

          This kid Naruto would be different. He had to be different. No more burdens, nothing to live up to; just the freedom to become whatever he wanted. She'd give that to him, and hope it was what Haruka would have asked for. Otherwise… _You're great at guilt trips, sis, but you suck at giving instructions. Just stick around and help me keep him out of trouble until he's out of my hair, okay?_  

          "That's all I came to say. Let's hope the kid doesn't join you guys here for a good long while, huh?"

* * *

          "So…"

          Naruto looked at the woman in front of him with a skeptical gleam in his eyes. 

          "My aunt, Hokage-sama?"

          The Third nodded.

          "Haruka's older sister, Setsuna. I've just reinstated her as the head of the Uzumaki Clan."

          "Wait a minute…a girl in exile? Reinstated?" Naruto thought back to Arashi's story. "That makes you the Ghost Girl!"

          Setsuna arched an eyebrow.

          "Ghost Girl?"

          "Haruka was serious when she said nobody remembers who you are anymore." The Hokage shrugged. "Of course, how much of that is Kotaro not being around to grumble about it, I don't know."

          "Hold it, hold it, _hold it_! How am I supposed to know she's really my aunt? She doesn't look anything like my mother."

          Naruto scratched his head, pondering the question.

          "All of a sudden I've got family popping up out of nowhere; first Dad, now the Ghost Girl is my aunt. I better not have some gigantic inheritance nobody ever told me about."

          "Well, technically you do, if you fancy running a restaurant." Setsuna grinned.

          "Okay, I've got it!" Naruto turned to the Third. "You said only an Uzumaki would be able to get into and out of the house unhurt, right?"

          "That I did, son. What of it?"

          Naruto swung back to Setsuna, pointing his thumb back at the Uzumaki house.

          "You want to show you're family? Prove it. Get through the first floor and out onto that second floor balcony without a scratch on you, and I might believe it."

          His only answer came in the form of a flash of black hair going past him and into the house.

          "If you're going to demand proof about something, kid, try and make the trial a little harder next time."

          Naruto gaped as Setsuna suddenly appeared, vaulting over the balcony railing to land gracefully on her feet in front of him.

          "Geez, you must know a ton of jutsus if you're that good. What can you teach me?"

          "Nothing."

          Naruto's head made a dent in the ground as he facefaulted.

          "Whaddaya mean nothing?"

          "I only know taijutsu. Never made Genin, so all those flashy jutsus and hand seals might as well be gibberish to me. Just a simple waitress."

          For the rest of the day, people in the Leaf Village wondered why a shout was still echoing through the woods.

          "AW, HOW COME THE ONLY FAMILY I GET IS THE KIND THAT CAN'T TEACH ME ANYTHING!?"

          Setsuna only grinned, watching her journey into "motherhood" begin. _I think you and me are gonna have a lot of fun together, kid. Well, I will, anyway…_ Still chuckling, she took Naruto by the arm and led him into the Uzumaki house for the first time. "Come on, stop whining. I can at least teach you to get to your new room without getting yourself killed."

          The Third Hokage watched them go, the Uzumaki Clan alive again at last, and smiled as he headed back home. _Things are getting interesting again._ For now, at least, life was back to normal. There would be time enough to think about the village's problems later. 

AUTHOR'S NOTES 

Yes, I know 3,000 yen isn't that much in real life, but it's more accurate than saying 3,000 dollars. Kishimoto-sensei's never mentioned money in the anime so far, so I just went with yen. Consider it a 1-1 exchange; Setsuna just became a _very_ rich lady. ^_^;

I have no idea what a "Mary Sue" is, but Setsuna is not super-powered. She has huge potential, but almost no training. Her strengths are taijutsu and speed; she only knows the basic Academy jutsus (Henge, Bunshin and Kawarimi). So Naruto's dreams of learning Uzumaki secrets directly from his aunt are probably only going to lead to disappointment…*evil laughter*

Next time: The Leaf Village reacts to Naruto's new family, as our hero finally gets to return to training, and Setsuna actually teaches him something after all. And why is Iruka suddenly offering Naruto an emergency Rank C mission? Tune in, and find out…


	8. Sights, Sounds, and Souls

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 8 – Sights, Sounds, and Souls**

Summary: Several of the Genin teams resolved to starting training and improving while the Chuunin Exam is still suspended. Meanwhile, Setsuna, Slinger and Miki all headed for the Leaf Village after Setsuna hit the jackpot at a local casino; they plan to build a new restaurant with the money. When Setsuna arrived, she proved to Naruto that she was an Uzumaki by getting through the trap-filled house unscathed, and Naruto prepared to move into his family's house for the first time. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will be learning as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

Kids! You can talk and talk till your face turns blue  
Kids! But they still just do what they want to do  
Why can't they be like we are, perfect in every way?  
What's the matter with kids today?  
-From the musical Bye Bye Birdie, "Kids"  
  


          "Hey, kid. Don't just go wandering around, okay? Second floor's no safer than the first." 

          Naruto blinked sleepily and turned toward his aunt's voice. He quickly turned around and dashed for his new room.

          "Geez, Aunt Setsuna! Put a shirt on, will ya?"

          Setsuna looked down at herself and then slowly returned to her room; she'd forgotten that she was actually living with someone now, and kept on sleeping in next to nothing.

          "Don't tell me you've never seen a rack before, Naruto."

          His answer was muffled from coming through two doors. "Yeah, but it wasn't one related to me!"

          Setsuna didn't stop laughing for a good long while.

          Her nephew was still refusing to look at her when they met again at the top of the second floor stairs.

          "I'm dressed now; you can turn around."

          Naruto didn't move. Setsuna arched an eyebrow as she looked on.

          "You sure you're not mad?"

          _Setsuna, you dimwit. Here's this kid who hasn't had any parents, not even anybody who's supposed to care about him. Now he's probably scared you're gonna boot him out of the house 'cause he got a good look at your chest._

          "Kid, it's all a learning process. I'm as new to this family crap as you are. Now, if I catch ya peeping on me in the shower, I'll kick your ass; otherwise, we're cool. I just gotta remember to keep some more clothes on in the future." _And possibly find someone to tell you about sex, 'cause I sure ain't gonna do it_. 

          Naruto breathed an audible sigh of relief and turned to go down the stairs. He didn't make it to the landing, as Setsuna grabbed his collar.

          "Okay, Naruto. Lesson number one about the house is to watch the staircase. It likes to eat people who just go straight up or down without thinking."

          "_Eat_ people?"

          "Just watch." Setsuna had picked up one of Naruto's spare ring weights the night before, and now she tossed it onto a step in the middle of the staircase. In seconds, the staircase swung downwards from the top, collapsing into a slide that led down to a cavernous pit.

          "So what's in the pit?"

          "I really don't know. Nobody's been down there since my great-grandfather installed the staircase about 100 or so years ago. Your uncle Sentaro reckoned he once heard tigers roaring when the staircase opened, but I doubt it. There isn't enough sunlight down there and we don't get enough unwanted visitors to keep an animal fed anyway. Probably just wooden stakes or something."

          Naruto watched as the staircase slowly began to rise, finally locking itself back into place with a soft click. The ring weight had disappeared.

          "So how do I get up and down without going _way_ down? Can't always bounce off walls and banisters like we did yesterday."

          "There's always tricks to this place. For the staircase, it's math practice."

          Naruto made a face, drawing more laughter from Setsuna.

          "If you ever want to survive the training ground, you have to learn a little geometry and physics. It's not only about blindly getting hit or dodging. Fastest way to get through is to use the course to your advantage, borrowing the momentum of the traps."

          "So what's the math practice?"

          "Simple addition. One plus two, and so on. When you're coming up, the first step is always safe. Then you skip a step and hit the third step, skip two more and hit the sixth. Keep adding one to the number of steps to skip, and you'll be fine. Helps with the number crunching you'll have to do when you start learning higher math."

          "Wait a minute; that only covers going up. How do I get down? I can't remember all that stuff going backwards!"

          "So jump."

          Naruto wondered when his aunt had turned cuckoo.

          "Just jump? What if there's a trap on the floor where I land?"

          "Hah! The kid's got a brain in his head after all. You know, you've got a similar enough build to Sentaro that you could try what he used to do to get down." Setsuna took a running start and leaped onto the banister.

          "Aunt Setsuna, what the hell are you doing?"

          "Just watch and learn, Naruto. Leave the screaming to some girly girl."

          He looked on as she slid down the banister, only to leap off halfway down, to land on the first step of the staircase.

          "Simple and fast. Least that's what Sentaro used to say about it."

          Naruto shrugged. _Why not?_ Taking a running leap himself, he slid down as well, intending to just go all the way without jumping off. Then he heard the soft click. _Oh, crap_. Before Naruto could find a foothold to jump off the stairs, they had already begun swinging away from him. He shut his eyes, flailing around for the edge of the hole that was opening up.

          "Naruto, when I said you had a brain in your head, I didn't think it'd make your noggin swell."

          He felt a hard jerk as a hand latched onto his jacket. Setsuna landed on the first floor next to the staircase and let her nephew drop to the ground.

          "No place for arrogance or cockiness in this house, Naruto. The minute you forget this place is dangerous, you're gonna get hurt. Your mom wouldn't be too pleased, and I'd be out of a job."

          "So shouldn't you be going to work about now? I know how to get in and upstairs now, so it's time to go replace the traps I blew up two days ago. Gotta get the course to work again."

          "Hah! Responsibility advice from a kid who wakes up at ten in the morning?" Setsuna grinned. "You ain't the man of the house yet."

          Naruto's answer was no less sarcastic. "You should talk, Aunt I-Own-A-Restaurant-I-Haven't-Even-Started-Building-Yet." 

          "Okay, you win. Get the course fixed. I gotta check on Slinger before he has the crew build some three-story monstrosity."

          As they prepared to leave the house in their separate directions, both of the Uzumakis felt good, but for different reasons. Setsuna found she'd missed the easy banter and company of a family; Naruto just felt lucky he finally _had_ someone to talk to all the time that wasn't named Kakashi, Sasuke or Sakura.

          Oddly enough, they were about the only two people in the Leaf Village with anything to feel happy about that morning.

* * *

          "Ikegata Tenji! You get back here and finish your breakfast!"

          People in the southern neighborhood of Konoha didn't even blink at the sight of a half-dressed six year-old boy running and jumping down the street, being chased by a harried girl twice his age. Given that it happened every day, they were getting used to it. One old grandmother sunning herself waved a hand cheerily at the girl.

          "Keep at it, girl! You'll get him one of these days, I'll wager."

          Ikegata Tenten smiled at their family's neighbor before she turned back to Tenji's escape. As she did, her expression turned back into one of murderous rage. Being placed in charge of her little brother made Tenten wonder what she'd done to tick her parents off. _Forget the rumors. The Ninetails must have made a stop at our house before it got sealed away._

          Her younger brother, Ikegata Tenji, turned around in midair and stuck his tongue out at her. 

          "Nyah! It's not my fault your cooking sucks, sis!"

          Tenten suppressed a frustrated scream.

          "I only burned the eggs _once_, you little brat! You didn't even try them before you waltzed out today anyway!"

          "Why should I? Souta's mom makes more sausages than they can eat; he always leaves some for me."

          Tenten reached into the pouch on her back as Tenji continued to insult her. _That's IT! I've had it!_ Grabbing a little ball inside, she hurled it off a wall in front of Tenji. The little boy had enough time to make one last rude gesture at his sister before the ball exploded out and formed a rope net, enveloping Tenji and pinning him to the ground. Stalking over, Tenten grabbed the end of the net and began dragging her brother back home.

          "Go get dressed! I don't care if you don't want to eat, but at least put the rest of your Academy uniform on! Don't embarrass the family any more than you already do." Tenten untied the net and threw the door of the Ikegata house open as they reached the front gate. Tenji, who was usually too surly to reply after getting caught, just kicked at the dirt before running into the house.

          His sister folded the net and put it on the table next to the door; she was usually too tired to stuff it back into its normal shape until bedtime.

          "Used the net again, huh?"

          Tenten turned to see her father lean his head out the kitchen door, holding onto the doorframe. Ikegata Kazumasa was still wearing his sunglasses, even though the bandages on his eyes told everyone he didn't really need them.

          "When's Mom supposed to get back, anyway?"

          "Oh, you know her. She usually only gets the quick Rank B missions because of our situation. I make it three or four days at most." Kazumasa stopped his attempt to cheer his daughter up as Tenten slammed the front door and headed for her room.

          "I'm sorry, Princess."

          Tenten reluctantly trudged back to the kitchen. Her father had been temporarily blinded by a sword slash to the face on an Anbu mission, while defending her mother. The Leaf Village medics had mostly fixed his eyes, but Kazumasa wouldn't be able to see again until the internal damage healed itself. From the doctors' looks of pity, Tenten had gathered it wouldn't be anytime soon. Ikegata Tenko had become the sole breadwinner for the family, and was usually gone six days out of the week, leaving Tenten as housekeeper and babysitter on top of her Genin duties. She also had to make sure that Kazumasa didn't kill himself stumbling blindly around the house. Having him come up the stairs trying to apologize wouldn't have been safe.

          "Daddy, you know nobody blames you. But Tenji's been taking advantage of everyone, and I'm getting tired of it." Kazumasa could still sense individual chakra auras, but not inanimate objects like walls and furniture. When he attempted to discipline his son, Tenji often managed to hide behind corners until his father gave up and left him alone. Tenko wasn't much help; nobody wanted to burden her with anything when they saw how exhausted she was all the time.

          "I honestly figured that teacher at the Academy would have been able to do something with him. If he could get that Naruto kid to behave and make Genin, Tenji shouldn't have been a problem."

          Tenten's thoughts wandered off as Kazumasa continued to ramble about Iruka's failure. Unlike Hinata, Sakura and Ino, she didn't know much about Naruto. All she had were the rumors in the village, and what she'd seen in the forest. Oh, she'd seen that stupid prank he'd pulled by painting the Hokage memorial, but other than that, Naruto hadn't done anything else in her sight that was so bad. Why would he be such a burden on Iruka-sensei? When she asked her father, he shrugged.

          "I knew his parents."

          "What's that supposed to mean?"

          Kazumasa couldn't wink at his daughter, but his grin said it all.

          "That…is a secret."

          "DADDY!"

          "All right, all right." Kazumasa dodged Tenten's elbow and leaned back against the wall. "But I better not hear you tell anybody else about this, not even Naruto. His father and the Third Hokage laid a bond of secrecy on me a long time ago for everybody's good.

          "Naruto's mother was Uzumaki Haruka, my squad leader. His father was Kazama Arashi, the Fourth Hokage."

          "Kazama? Why isn't he named for the Fourth?"

          "They were planning to get married someday." Kazumasa shook his head. "Then the Ninetails showed up.

          "Nobody knew how to get rid of the demon. Best we could do for a long while was to damage it, and hope it would back off until it healed up. The Fourth finally thought of something that could kill it, but by the time he had it all figured out, Haruka was already dead. Our team had drawn the short straw to face the demon, and she wouldn't let Arashi pull her off the front lines. We got out there, and she saved all our butts, at the cost of her own life."

          "That explains why he has no mother. But why would the Fourth deliberately turn Naruto into an orphan?"

          "He didn't have any other choice. Without Haruka his first technique wouldn't work; had to come up with something else, so he went with sealing the demon away. The sealing killed him in the process, but it did the trick."

          "You still haven't told me why Naruto's supposed to be such a handful."

          "Before Arashi learned a little responsibility, he was the biggest practical joker in the village. His sensei, his teammates, even the Third Hokage – nobody was safe. Smart as hell, but he didn't take too much seriously. They were taking a big gamble when they made him Hokage, and they were lucky it paid off.

          "Haruka was the serious one; she wouldn't take crap from anybody. If you pissed her off, she'd let you know, and she generally did something about it too.

          "Any kid of theirs…man, would _he_ be a force of nature."

          Tenten tried to match the heroic legend that was the Fourth Hokage with the sometimes-hotheaded, always loud Naruto. Other than the hairstyles, they didn't seem that similar. Of course, his constant desire to be Hokage made a lot more sense now. She couldn't have known it then, but the words that came out as her mouth opened would change her life forever.

          "If he's improved that much, you might as well hire _him_ to keep Tenji in line."

          "You know something, Princess?" There was a loud crack as Kazumasa's hand slapped the kitchen counter. "What the hell. We've got nothing to lose, right?"

          For the first time in a while, the Master of Blades and his daughter had a reason to laugh. With some luck their little problem might not be so bothersome after all. The fact that they'd be dumping their problem on Naruto was forgotten for now.

          Across the village, there wasn't any laughing going on at the bridge where Team 7 usually met.

* * *

          "What do you mean, you can't tutor me?"

          Kakashi scratched at the back of his neck as Sakura stared up at him, bewildered.

          "I'm sorry, Sakura. Right now I've got to train Sasuke, and with his condition it's all I can do to keep him from hurting himself. Maybe you should ask your parents, or go find Naruto."

          Her flat expression told Kakashi what the pink-haired girl thought about _that_ idea.

          "I know Naruto can be a little hyper, but from what you've told me he's getting a little more serious about his duties. Besides, he hasn't shown up since he got back from the forest, and I'm too busy to check. Could you find him and let me know how he's doing?"

          Sakura looked hesitant, but it wasn't for the reason Kakashi seemed to think was stopping her.

          The Uzumaki Naruto that had come back from the forest wasn't the one she was used to. This one made her feel strange, half interested, half scared. And for the life of her, Sakura wasn't sure she wanted to know what had happened to Naruto and whether it was permanent. But without anyone _else_ to help her train, she reluctantly bowed to reality.

          "All right, Kakashi-sensei."

          Only it wasn't all right, as Sakura found out when she reached Naruto's house. The door was open and apparently, nothing was inside. It was as though nobody had ever lived there.

          "If you're looking for Naruto, he doesn't live here anymore."

          The voice behind her echoed in the empty halls; Sakura jumped a bit in surprise and turned to find Iruka looking in through the front door.

          "But Iruka-sensei…where would he move?"

          The Academy teacher shrugged.

          "Seems he has a family after all. Naruto's aunt left the village twenty years ago, but she got a letter from his mother asking her to come back. Soon as she arrived, they both moved to the old Uzumaki house."

          Sakura could only stand and wonder about another odd turn of events involving Naruto. What was going on?

          "You know, Naruto's aunt is building a restaurant. If you want to find him, she'd probably know where he is."

          "Where would I have to go?"

          Iruka smiled down at his former pupil. "Hokage-sama told me where the building site is. I have to drop off something I was going to give Naruto; why don't you come along?"

          "Okay, I guess."

          Iruka stopped them at an old building that was being torn down; voices were coming from within, but nobody was outside. Sakura could hear faint arguing going on.

          "Look, I ain't paying you guys overtime for a simple demolition job! Knock this thing over and let's get building."

          "Slinger, would ya shut up? Everybody just step back and calm down. I'll give you time and a half for today only, 'cause you had to deal with this windbag. But only if everybody leaves the building right now."

          "What the hell for, Setsuna? Gonna blow the thing down?"

          "Remember what happened the night you got wasted and challenged all those lumberjacks in the Timber Town bar?"

          "Uh, only from what Miki told me the next day."

          "Well, this old building has the exact same design flaw as the Timber Town did. Bust the two central supports and the entire thing'll come crashing down."

          "So, ya want me to destroy every post in the room?"

          "Not unless you want to wind up buried under two stories of wood and brick. I can do it.

          "Come on, everybody out!"

          Iruka and Sakura watched as a team of construction workers filed out of the building, followed by a stocky man in a chef's hat. The chef turned around and yelled something back through the door, but a shout sent him running back to where the workers had gathered. The two ninjas went a little closer and saw a woman walking back and forth on the ground floor, rapping every post in the room with her knuckles. Once she had tested each one, she turned around and cupped her hands to her mouth.

          "Don't get close! This sucker's going down!"

          Setsuna turned her attention back to the biggest support in front of her, going into an attack stance. A ninja she wasn't, but a very tough street fighter she definitely was. Taking a running start, she launched herself at the wooden pillar and lashed out with a spinning kick. 

          "You're standin' in the way of progress. So hit the skids!"

          The pillar disintegrated into a cloud of wooden splinters, accompanied by a loud creaking noise as the building sagged on one side. _Okay, one left, and then book it out the door. Wouldn't want to leave Naruto an orphan AGAIN_. 

          Striding over to the side without a support, Setsuna braced herself against the wall before launching herself at the other support with a flying shoulder block. _Well, old man, who'd have thought it? That junk you taught us in the training ground served some use after all_.  Summoning what she remembered of the Diamond Body training, Setsuna slammed into the remaining support pillar and blasted right through it. _Now get out, girl! No time to admire your handiwork_. Leaping through an open window, the ex-waitress kept on running until she was a good two hundred feet away from the condemned building. She didn't need to turn around to know her work was done; the loud crash of wood and stone collapsing in on itself was proof enough.

          "Pay 'em their overtime and then go back to the inn, Slinger. We'll clean the place up tomorrow and get to building." Setsuna waived a lazy hand back at the stunned workers and her chef.

          "Where are you going?"

          "The hell do you think I'm going? I'm gonna go take a *#^@%))! nap, is what I'm gonna do. Haven't had to get rough like that in years, even with all the bar fights you get us into."

          Iruka stopped her with a question as she turned to leave again.

          "Excuse me, madam. You wouldn't happen to be Uzumaki Setsuna, would you? Naruto's aunt?"

          "What'd he do?"

          Iruka blinked in surprise at Setsuna's quick, sharp response.

          "What do you mean by that?"

          "Look, it's no secret Naruto and I are family. All day long I've been getting weird stares, people coming up to me telling me he's done this, he's a monster, pulled some prank or pissed somebody off. Some of 'em even say I'm crazy for raising a kid like him. As if they even tried to get to know him…

          "I don't need to hear about any more grudges or be insulted. Save your breath and throw down. Mess with the kid and you get me thrown in."

          The Academy teacher put his hands up quickly to ward off any violence.

          "I don't think any such thing, Uzumaki-san. Let me introduce myself; I'm Iruka, Naruto's Academy sensei. Before you came to the village, I was the one who was mostly in charge of looking after him."

          Setsuna relaxed visibly.

          "So you're the one who feeds him all that ramen. I swear he won't eat anything else."

          Now that the tensions had been done away with, Iruka could let himself laugh about it.

          "Well, I guess this new restaurant means I won't have to treat him to meals anymore. Teachers only make so much."

          Setsuna looked at him impassively, then shrugged.

          "Ya want some food, you're welcome to drop in on this place after it's been built. Anyone who takes care of my family's a friend of mine."

          "Actually…there's something I need to stop by your house for. Got a little message for Naruto that has to be delivered in person."

          "Follow me, then. Probably a waste of your time, though."

          "What makes you say that?"

          Iruka (and Sakura) had to jog to keep up with Setsuna as she turned to leave. She tossed a comment idly back over her shoulder.

          "Kid's busy training in the family obstacle course. A team of Jounin couldn't pry him out of there now if they tried."

          Sakura pondered that as she hurried along behind Naruto's aunt. _What could he be learning that would be stronger than what he was doing in the forest?_ Looking at Setsuna as she strode into the forest, the Genin wondered if another Uzumaki could help her train instead of Naruto.

* * *

          Setsuna's sarcastic comment to Iruka had actually been wrong. Right now, Naruto wasn't feeling too great about the training ground. The rock nets had been fairly easy to replace. Heavy and unwieldy logs were a different story. Still, it was either fix the place or go back to reading scrolls like before. Picking up an axe and saw from the rack in the Uzumaki toolshed, Naruto strode out into the forest to find a dead tree. A conversation he'd had with Arashi the night before occupied his thoughts.

          "Okay, Dad, spill it. You didn't even know the Ghost Girl was an Uzumaki?"

          For once, the Fourth Hokage was on the defensive.

          "Hey, don't blame me. Your mom might have let me know all about herself, but when it came to her family, she could clam up as quick as anyone.

          "Besides, she hated burdening others with her problems. Haruka would listen to you bitch and moan about something, but the only thing she ever did when you asked her how she was feeling was smile a little. Wouldn't complain for the life of her."

          Naruto wasn't buying it, as the look in his eyes told Arashi.

          "She obviously had a temper, Dad. Mom had to vent sometime, and you were both probably too busy to scream at each other all the time."

          "Well…" Arashi hesitated. Should he tell the boy? True to form, he ignored his misgivings and plunged on.

          "She didn't vent. Haruka had another way of dealing with her problems, as I found out one day spying on her."

          The dreamscape shifted from Naruto's new room to a clearing in the forest outside the village. Haruka sat on a tree stump, idly tossing a kunai at a fallen log nearby, then pulling it back with a string tied through the ring on its end.

          "Wouldn't Mom have known you were here?"

          Naruto's question drew a laugh from his father.

          "I know you don't think that much of me, Naruto, but even a Hokage has some special tricks. Take a look at the third tree from the left, behind her."

          Naruto looked up and saw an outline of his father's younger self against the branches and trunk of a tree a distance from Haruka.

          "Your mom was good, but she wasn't _that_ good. I had ways to screen out light and sound with my chakra; if I didn't go making any quick moves, nobody could find me. Helps a bit on assassinations.

          "Anyhow, Haruka always walked off when her father or her grandfather got her angry. I used to think she was only doing it to annoy Gramps, until the day you're seeing. Caught the end of another screaming fight between the two of them and decided to follow her on a whim."

          A branch snapped in the forest behind Uzumaki Haruka, but she didn't seem to notice. The younger Arashi started as a pack of large wolves emerged from the trees in the direction of the noise, causing his outline to waver.

          "What the hell is she doing? Those are dire wolves, not the timber wolves I've seen the Chuunins summon!"

          The Fourth laid a restraining hand on his son's shoulder.

          "Relax, son. That was what I thought at the time. She's about to prove us both wrong."

          Haruka turned around without any apparent concern. Naruto kept a tense watch, clenching and unclenching his fists. In the back of his head the blonde boy knew it was only a memory; Haruka couldn't have been killed here. It didn't make having to watch his mother in apparent danger any easier. Of course, that was before the danger vanished.

          The young Arashi's outline blurred again and Naruto's jaw dropped, as the largest dire wolf simply sat down on its haunches and fixed Haruka with an expectant look on its battle-scarred face. She smiled and inclined her head briefly in a gesture of respect.

          "You're early, Pack Master. What is it you want of me?"

          The dire wolf growled deep in its throat, ears flicking slightly backward. Haruka's smile was unfazed.

          "Don't play innocent with me, Blood Fang. You never come here early unless something's bothering the pack."

          This time the leader of the pack lay down fully, head resting on its front paws and barking sharply. Haruka laughed.

          "_Bears?_ You've never had problems with bears before. What happened to those boasts about your sire and grandsire slaughtering whole packs of them?"

          A faint whine was all Naruto heard, as the dire wolf's ears laid fully back.

          "Oh, I get it. They send in the younger, stronger warriors, and now you want me to save your hides."

          One of the smaller wolves emerged from the pack, clutching a dead raccoon in its mouth, which it laid at Haruka's feet. The young woman's eyebrows arched.

          "Asking me to face down a family of bears and the best tribute you could get was a _tanuki_? You're lucky the wolves have my favor."

          Rising from the stump, Haruka snapped the string off her kunai and tucked it into the pouch at her waist.

          "All right, you lazy git. Lead me to them before I change my mind."

          Naruto watched his mother leap into the forest as the dire wolves ran back the way they'd come.

          "You're _kidding_."

          Arashi chuckled.

          "Welcome to the weird, wonderful world of the Uzumakis, Naruto. Otherwise known as the Nature Ninjas."

          "Nature Ninjas?"

          "You never wondered why almost all of them were Anbu? They were the perfect killing machines, even without any actual man-made weapons.

          "Other bloodlines may have their power in the eyes or the body, but only the Uzumakis had it in the soul. Every last one of them had an innate ability to commune with animals. Haruka's favorite was always the dire wolves. Your uncle Sentaro had an owl familiar, and Gramps Uzumaki kept some ravens."

          "I still don't get it." Naruto turned away from his mother and the wolf pack to look at Arashi. "Sure it's great to be one with nature, but what's that got to do with the Anbu?"

          "It has _everything_ to do with the Anbu." Arashi snapped his fingers, taking them to a model of a large house. Armed guards appeared on the veranda facing the rear courtyard, while other shadowy forms lurked inside, behind the shoji panels. "Most humans are either too dumb or proud to admit that animals are useful for anything other than food. The Uzumakis knew better.

          "Need a scout? Send a human in, and if he gets caught, you're screwed. Guards are alerted, and your job just got that much harder, maybe even deadlier." As Arashi spoke, the guards at the model house sprung into action, drawing swords and moving to cover all the entrances. "But send a bird or a squirrel, and nobody even bats an eye. It can tell you exactly how many you're up against, where they are, and you keep the element of surprise." Now the guards went back to their original posts, some alert, but others asleep or distracted.

          "Need to distract guards once you're in? Summon a skunk, snakes, something people are always afraid of. They're too busy dealing with a little annoyance to realize you've crept up on them. By then it's too late; they get knocked out or they're dead."

          Naruto scratched the back of his neck. Learning taijutsu and stuff was one thing, but talking to animals? He remembered Hinata's teammates vaguely; one could control bugs, the other dogs. The idea that he might be able to do the same was just…bizarre.

          "What's this got to do with Mom and Aunt Setsuna anyway?"

          Arashi shrugged.

          "The forest was Haruka's refuge when the human world got too messy or frustrating. The rest of the family had an animal or two to speak with, but she became something of a roving problem-solver for the creatures in the forest. It made her feel like she had control over something in her life, and kept her from venting in public, where embarrassing stuff like the Ghost Girl thing might have come out."

          "You'd think she would have said something about Aunt Setsuna to you, at least."

          The Fourth Hokage sat down, shaking his head.

          "Some wounds run deep, Naruto. Deeper than even a lover or a spouse can reach sometimes. Living in a house with people as old-fashioned and inflexible as Uzumaki Kotaro wasn't easy for Haruka. I get the feeling she buried her memories of Setsuna deep inside as much to keep from reminding Gramps of his failures, as to keep from missing her sister. Telling me about it would only have brought back bad memories."

          Arashi waited for a response; when none came, he looked over to his son, sitting next to him and staring out into space.

          "What's eating you? Looks like someone kicked your dog or something."

          "Dad, can you miss someone you've never even met?"

          The Fourth kicked himself mentally. He should have known that using memories of Haruka to motivate their son would do this. Why wouldn't the boy hunger for his mother's love once he'd seen her, and discovered what had been taken from him? _Damn you forever, Haruka. Did you even know what you were doing to our son and me that day? Why, out of all the duties in the world to fulfill, would you be so stubborn about fighting that thing?_

          The irony was, she probably _had_ known what might happen. Setsuna's arrival had made that much clear. Family duties aside, all the forward thinking in the world couldn't make up for a decade's worth of neglect. Arashi knew it had been unavoidable; Naruto had to become strong on his own, or else he would never be able to kill the demon fox. The Fourth had logic on his side. But logic rarely trumped guilt. Arashi hung his head; when he spoke, it was much softer than usual.

          "Yeah, you can. But missing someone can go one of two ways, son. You can let it get you down, or use it to make yourself stronger. Which one do you think Haruka would have wanted for you?"

          "I know all that," Naruto muttered. "The scrolls you left behind are a big help, but it's just not the same. I do this stuff, but unless you choose to show up at night, there's nobody to tell me whether I'm doing it right or wrong. Even if I do get stronger, I wonder if that's even worth it anymore.

          "You won't let me tell people I'm your son, and how many of the villagers would change their opinions of me even if they believed me to begin with?"

          "This is not about you, son." Arashi let the guilt pass for a moment and fixed his child with a stern gaze. "The becoming Hokage thing? You could give it up today, and nobody would think any worse of you. But the one thing I ain't gonna let you do is stop improving or getting stronger. Killing the Ninetails is your duty now. Can't just drop everything halfway."

          "I'm not!" Naruto shouted hotly. "Who said anything about quitting? It's just a lot harder than what I used to be learning, and you can't help me with the physical stuff anyway."

          "Well, you won't be doing anything physical anyway until you fix the course. Why don't you try and see if you can activate your mother's ability while you're off getting the logs?"

          Naruto glared darkly at his father.

          "Typical. I haven't even finished learning one thing and you stick me with another."

          Arashi simply whistled, trying to look innocent.

          "One hint, and one hint only. Your mom used to say that the secret to dealing with anything in nature was using your soul to do things."

          "Once again, you've lost me."

          "Figured out the last one, didn't you? Just remember. See with your soul, not just your eyes, for the eye simply sees what the heart believes."

* * *

          "He's not a Hokage, he's a court jester."

          Naruto muttered an oath as he trudged deeper into the forest. So far, most of the trees he'd seen were too young or small to replace the logs he'd blown up. All the older growth was further back, towards the mountain. As the blond-haired ninja walked, Arashi's next puzzle taunted him. _See with your soul, not just your eyes, for the eye simply sees what the heart believes_.

          What was he supposed to do, walk up to an animal, say hello, and wait for a response? That was too easy; too simple. Putting it out of his mind, Naruto kept looking for a likely tree. Spotting a fairly old one, he readied the axe; just as he was about to strike, chirping began to echo from the surrounding trees. It stopped the blond ninja short, but when he lowered his axe, the chirping ceased. _What the hell…?_

          Shrugging the bird calls aside, Naruto raised the axe again. As soon as he did so, the chirping started again. _Geez, you'd think they were trying to warn me off this tree or something._ The thought gave him pause. _Nah._

          "If you're going to warn a guy, you could at least do it in a way he can understand." Naruto smirked flippantly as he looked back in the direction of the chirping. _Let's see you respond to THAT_. Even knowing what Arashi told him, Naruto wasn't prepared for what he heard next. As he turned back to the tree, the renewed chirping suddenly became something very different.

          […bloody Human! Just chop the tree down! Why taunt us about it?] _Who the…?_

          Another voice spoke, female to the first one's male.

          [That's enough. If you're going to feel anything for the Humans, feel pity. They know not what they do.]

          [Isn't it enough that they destroy our homes? Must we watch and do nothing?]

          This time the female sounded exasperated.

          [What would you do? Peck its face? It's pointless to speak of such things.]

          Naruto shook his head. He had to be going nuts. As that belief arose, the conversation disappeared, to be replaced by chirping again. _It can't be that simple._

          _Was_ it that simple? As soon as he had treated the chirping a little seriously, taken it as more than simple bird song, it was understandable. But think of the birds as dumb animals again, and speech faded back into chirps. _Just believe, Naruto. How is this any different from having to trust that Dad's not just a figment of my imagination?_

          But Arashi, at least, was human. Naruto expected to understand what the Fourth said. _That doesn't stop Kiba or Shino from talking to their companions. If they can do it, why can't you? Just because it's not human doesn't mean it can't think, or feel_.

          Years later, Uzumaki Naruto would look back on that very thought as the one that had made him worthy of his family's legacy. The birds' voices immediately returned, still arguing. Taking a chance, he spoke.

          "All right, then, what's so special about this tree?"

          The clearing was silent for a minute or so before anyone spoke again.

          [Did he just talk to us? And more importantly, did you actually understand that?]

          "Can you birds get what I'm saying?"

          Naruto watched as a pair of tiny sparrows flitted out of the forest, coming to rest on a branch of the tree he'd tried to cut down. The male bird chirped/spoke first.

          [That much, I understood.]

          [If I didn't know any better, I'd swear the Speakers had returned.]

          Speakers? Did they mean the Uzumaki family, perhaps? Naruto chanced a question.

          "Excuse me…was the last Speaker a human woman, about this tall, with black hair?"

          The female sparrow cocked her head at him, hopping along the branch until it could peer down at Naruto's features.

          [Indeed. There is something of her in your voice, Human. Where have the Speakers been these long years? There has been no one to maintain order since the Destroyer's time. The strong run rampant, the weak have no champion. Is the ancient pact forgotten?]

          Naruto shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know anything about any pact. I didn't even know I could speak to animals until last night."

          For once, the male sparrow didn't sound agitated; instead, its voice bore faint disgust.

          [How far have the Speakers fallen? The only one left is completely ignorant of everything!]

          _I didn't come here to be insulted by a couple of birds_. Naruto's mouth twisted in a snarl.

          "Maybe that's because my family was nearly wiped out, or had you forgotten? I'm sorry I don't meet your exalted expectations."

          [Enough.] The female sparrow fluttered down to Naruto's shoulder. [As long as he is of the blood, he can be taught. If you have waited this long, surely you can continue.]

          "Wait a minute. You still haven't explained what my job is even supposed to be, or why I have to do it."

          [It is quite simple. Some centuries ago, the first of your line, as well as some in other places, the original Speakers, made a pact. In exchange for the ability to speak with and gain the trust of the animals, the Speakers agreed that they would help to watch over and resolve the petty problems that plagued us all. 

          [Your ability to speak with us proves that you are of the blood. But with that power comes responsibility; if you choose to speak with the children of nature, you must abide by the pact.]

          "So what is it that I actually have to do? And does it have anything to do with this tree? I really need to get some logs."

          [Speak with the ravens. They have always been the keepers of information, and can teach you what must be done. When you are ready, seek out any bird, and ask them to lead you to the Ebon Shadows.]

          "Um, okay…what about the tree?"

          [It is unwise to harm a living thing, even those you cannot speak with. We will lead you to a dead tree, if you so require.]

          "Lead on, then…"

          [Before I do, I would know the name of the future Speaker.]

          "Uzumaki Naruto."

          The female sparrow spread her wings and flew back into the tree.

          [Well met, Naruto. Let us hope we see each other again. It has been too long since there was a Speaker in this forest.]

          "I can't promise you anything much, but I'll keep it in mind. Don't exactly have a lot of free time right now."

          [It's your life; we know that. But even if we do not demand an answer of you now, such a time will come. When it does, you must make a choice. For the sake of all in this forest, we pray that it will be a good one.]

          Naruto only nodded, walking into the forest as the sparrows began to look for his tree. As he walked, a smile played over his face. At the very least, following in his mother's footsteps would be pretty interesting.

* * *

          Even after lugging three huge log sections back to the training ground, Naruto was still faintly grinning when Setsuna, Iruka and Sakura arrived. Setsuna smirked as she watched her nephew try to hook up a hundred-pound piece of wood back into its rope harness.

          "You must be a glutton for punishment, kid. Even your great-gramps never smiled when he had to fix this place up."

          "Heh," Naruto shrugged. "A little sweat and dirt now compared to being able to kick Sasuke's butt someday? I think I can live with that."

          "Our training ground alone is gonna let you beat that Sharingan kid you're always complaining about?"

          "Among other things." Naruto spared an aside glance at Sakura. "Let's just say that there's some stuff even a super pair of eyes can't copy."

          What more could he risk saying? Sakura was an unknown quantity; how much would she tell Sasuke of this? Still…she _was_ his teammate. _For now_. Best to be charitable.

          "What're you doing here, Sakura?"

          She started, as if surprised that Naruto would speak to her.

          "Oh! Nothing, really…Kakashi-sensei wanted me to check on how you were doing, while he's off training Sasuke-kun, that's all."

          _Training Sasuke? That's great. That's just #(@#^! great._

          Visions of Kakashi's battle with Zabuza resurfaced; the power of the Sharingan wasn't lost on Naruto. Sasuke was already far enough ahead of him; this might just make it worse. _More training ahead. If he's going to be learning from Kakashi-sensei, I can't afford to slack off._ No reason to burden Sakura with that, though.

          "Well, just training, is all. Nothing special."

          Putting the troubling news about Sasuke aside for the moment, Naruto turned and greeted his favorite teacher.

          "Yo, Iruka-sensei! I see you met Aunt Setsuna. Now I can get all the ramen I want without dragging you to Ichiraku!"

          Iruka laughed, but in the back of his mind he felt a bit strange. He couldn't deny that he'd thought of Naruto as a little brother, if not a son, after what happened with Mizuki and the Forbidden Scroll. Maybe it was for the best. He was protective of the boy; so much so that he'd nearly convinced the Third Hokage to keep the rookie Genin teams from taking the Chuunin Exam. Instead, they'd passed their "preliminary" tests, and taught Iruka a valuable lesson. _There comes a time to let go, even if it's hard on you. They can't be kids forever_. 

          The proof of that was lying in Iruka's pocket; Kazumasa's request had specifically asked for Naruto, and the Anbu member had classified it as a Rank C mission. Knowing what he did about Ikegata Tenji, Iruka wasn't about to dispute the ranking. Naruto _didn't_ know Tenji, and the prospect of getting to do a Rank C mission by himself would be too tempting to make him suspicious. Still… _Some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Maybe this will teach Naruto a little responsibility._

          "Food is all you think about, huh? Maybe I should take this mission somewhere else."

          "Mission? What mission? We're in the middle of an exam here, Iruka-sensei!"

          "Oh, that." Iruka waved a hand. "Don't worry. It's supposed to start after the Chuunin Exam is over; the client doesn't mind if you do it as a Genin."

          "Geez, thanks a lot. I feel so confident now." Naruto glared at his old sensei.

          "Fine, fine, you're a big boy. Just don't go getting yourself killed." Iruka rolled his eyes and handed Naruto the mission form.

          "Two things: the Third Stage of the exam begins tomorrow morning. A path will be cleared for all remaining teams to go to the tower inside the Forest of Death.

          "Secondly, you've been specially requested for an emergency, indefinite Rank C mission. The details are on that form in your hand; a mentoring job for one person. Payment will be discussed once you've decided whether or not you want to accept the mission."

          Another step towards becoming a Chuunin? A mission just for him? Naruto had but one thing to say to Iruka about it.

          "Bring it on!"

AUTHOR'S NOTES

          Writer's block sucks. Fortunately, this chapter is the longest yet. I know it doesn't make up for the slowness, but now that I'm getting into the Third Stage fights, it should get much easier to write. Thanks go out to my two pre-readers, Cat and Iapetus. 

          Big changes are coming once the Third Stage begins (and ends; manga readers know how that turns out). I won't give much away now; let's just say that Naruto will be thrown into an entirely different situation from what he's been in so far. And yes, the Pervert Sennin, Jiraiya himself, will arrive in the village when that happens.

          No, this isn't what I meant when I said Tenten would play a bigger part in this story. This is part of it, but the biggest impact is yet to come. You're just gonna have to wait for it. *evil laughter*

BONUS! It's time for Naruto's Wild Kingdom:

**Today's Animal – Dire Wolf (_Canis dirus_) **(They did exist!)

**Physical Appearance:** 5 feet long, 110 pounds. Contrary to popular myth they were only slightly larger than the modern gray wolf (Canis lupus), with the exception of their teeth. They also had shorter but sturdier legs than the gray wolf.

**Geographic Range:** North & South America during the Pleistocene Epoch (Ice Age).

**Overview: **The dire wolf was not quite like any animal we have today. It was similar in overall size and mass to a large modern gray wolf. (A popular misconception is that the dire wolf dwarfed the modern day gray wolf.) The dire wolf looked fairly similar to the modern gray wolf; however, there are several important differences. The dire wolf had a larger, broader head and shorter, sturdier legs than its modern relative. The teeth of dire wolf were much larger and more massive than those of the gray wolf. Many paleontologists think that the dire wolf may have used its relatively large, massive teeth to crush bone.

Next time: Sasuke kicks off the Third Stage while trying to kick the curse seal into submission. Meanwhile, Naruto will find that trying to train and fight at the same time may not be such a good idea. 


	9. The Eyes Have It

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 9 – The Eyes Have It**

Summary: Setsuna taught Naruto how to get into and out of the Uzumaki house, then met Iruka after demolishing an old building to build her new restaurant. Naruto, while fixing the training ground, activated the Uzumaki family's special ability – to commune with almost any animal. He was also asked to be a mentor to Tenten's little brother, Ikegata Tenji.

Before he begins that mission, Naruto must first face the Third Exam, along with all the other surviving Genin.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will be learning as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

          _Clear the mind, and empty all thoughts. Find serenity; a peace nothing can intrude on._ Uchiha Sasuke repeated the mantra as he meditated, trying to stay within Kakashi-sensei's training. With only a few hours to go until the Third Exam began, he reviewed everything he had been taught during the break between exams.

          "If there's one thing you need to avoid," the Copy Ninja had said, "it's losing control of your emotions. Molding Chakra is one thing, but emotions are far worse. It's human nature to feel angry or frustrated at times like these, which is precisely what Orochimaru was counting on when he attacked you. Give in, and the seal will activate."

          Kakashi was off somewhere this morning, though he'd promised he would be back in time to take Sasuke and the rest of Team 7 to the tower.

          "I'm going to go find a way to keep the seal in check. For now, keep practicing your self-control."

          The irony wasn't lost on Sasuke. Self-control was practically a part of him. Keeping himself from lashing out at his teammates when they acted like idiots all the time was bad enough. One couldn't keep her hands off him, and the other…

          _That idiot's not dead last anymore, but nothing's really changed._

          What was Naruto but a lucky fool? Orochimaru had done something to him, but instead of being unable to use his Chakra, Naruto was stronger than ever. And that attack…typical of the blonde Genin, he'd named it something dumb. Who named a technique after themselves?

          _Not like it matters anyway. The next time we fight, he'll get a taste of his own techniques. Then we'll see who's better_. 

          Sasuke ran through the list in his mind; all of the promising Genin he'd met before the exam were still alive. Gaara of the Desert, Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee…and now Uzumaki Naruto had joined them on the list of Sasuke's desired opponents.

          If Naruto had been around, the smirk on Sasuke's face would have driven him into a fit of rage. Opponents? Mere obstacles in his path. Itachi was stronger than all of them. To kill him, Sasuke would have to become stronger than even his brother. No Genin would get in his way. Even if they did…

          Curse seal or no curse seal, he would find a way to win. That would be all the peace Uchiha Sasuke needed.

* * *

          Naruto had his own ways of finding inner peace, and even a mantra of his own.

          "Okay, today I'm gonna go out there and get even stronger! Time to kick some butt!"

          Setsuna's muffled voice came through her closed door.

          "Naruto, could you kick butt _outside_, please? I need my beauty sleep."

          Even people in Konoha who didn't really like Uzumaki Naruto freely admitted the boy was fearless. The words coming out of his mouth proved that his reputation was accurate.

          "Aunt Setsuna, if that were true, you'd be waking up sometime next week!"

          Too engaged in laughing at his joke, Naruto missed the quiet sound of a shoji door sliding open; the pillow Setsuna threw caught him full in the face.

          "I think I can stop wondering why that Sakura girl doesn't like you."

          "Now that's hitting below the belt."

          "Keep it up and I'm gonna make you pay for the ramen you eat at the restaurant."

          "No! Anything but that!"

          Setsuna had never seen anyone go from insulting to groveling that quick before. _I'll have to remember that trick._

          "Learned your place in this house, have ya? Get outta here. If I can actually get back to sleep I _may_ forget what's happened so far this morning."

          Before the words had a chance to echo through the hallway, her nephew was gone. Setsuna looked around before shutting her door and pulling the pillow over her eyes again.

          _You're about a dozen years too early to be challengin' me to a war of insults, kid._

          Naruto put the temporary defeat out of his mind after ten minutes or so, like he usually did. Unzipping his backpack, he pulled out another set of plates and rings, grinning all the while. After almost a week of having to deal with the added weight on his shoulders and legs, the spiky-haired boy felt like his movements were back to normal again. That meant it was time to crank his training up another level.

          Sitting on a bench and taking his jacket off, Naruto slipped the plates inside its shoulders, and likewise added two rings to the ones already in the cuffs of his pants.

          [Hey, you! You that Human everyone's talkin' about?]

          Naruto looked up to see a small furry creature looking at him from the leaves of a nearby bush. Before the heir of the Uzumaki legacy could respond, the animal turned into a gray streak scurrying out towards him. It stopped on the bench beside him, revealing…

          "A weasel?"

          [HEY! I'm a ferret, not a weasel! Get it straight, Speaker!]

          Naruto blinked. _Speaker?_

          "Since when am I the Speaker?"

          The ferret groomed its whiskers; Naruto's new ability translated that into the animal's attempt at a shrug.

          [Talkin' to me, ain't ya? Listen, the more ya talk to us, the deeper the Speaker ability sinks in. The sparrows have been tellin' everyone that runs across ya to talk, so ya get used to the idea.]

          "What, so every dog or cat I see in the village is gonna be dishing out the gossip on their masters, forcing me into the job?"

          The ferret gave an incredulous snort (or a full body shake, to anyone else's eye).

          [Them? Forget it. Ya won't hear nothin' from an animal that's living with Humans. Their spirits are broken, and along with that, their connection to nature. Soon as an animal loses that, even wild creatures can't talk with 'em anymore. Well, except for parrots, and they just repeat what ya say anyhow.]

          "What about the ninja dogs, or the bugs Shino's always hangin' around with?"

          [They're special cases, and ya can't talk to them either. They got specific bonds with their patrons. Besides, what's the point of talkin' to sellouts and lapdogs? You can talk to any wild creature ya want! That's loads better!]

          Naruto arched an eyebrow. "And the fact that you all get to shove your problems on my shoulders has nothing to do with it?"

          [Hey, it ain't like ya don't get advantages from the deal besides just talkin'.]

          "Oh yeah? What advantages?"

          [Summons! You got any idea what kind of power a summoning contract between a Speaker and his charges can give? Come on, frogs, snakes, and stuff don't get that big on their own.]

          Now that did open Naruto's eyes. He knew for certain that Sasuke had seen him do the Naruto Bakudan in the forest. _Pretty safe to assume that he can copy it, then_. Of all the things the blonde Genin resented about Uchiha Sasuke, the Sharingan was probably at the top of the list.

          For someone like Naruto, who had learned everything he knew, through hard work and drilling day after day, something that let you use another person's techniques just by looking at them once or twice might as well be cheating. Of course, Kakashi's Sharingan was different. _At least Kakashi-sensei only uses it when he's fighting a bad guy, like Zabuza_.

          Something that required a contract _couldn't_ be copied (at least he hoped it worked that way). You needed to have your own contract with the animal or spirit, and no super pair of eyes could give that to Sasuke. The Speaker's job suddenly looked a lot better than it had when he'd gotten out of bed.

          "So what, you want to sign a contract with me?"

          The ferret shrugged again.

          [Who, me? I'm more a sidekick type. Us ferrets are scavengers, not fighters.]

          "I'll bet. Hey, what am I supposed to call you guys, anyway?"

          [What, our names? Every tribe's got its own traditions. Birds name themselves after where they hatch, the dogs and the wolves prefer stuff about their personalities. The ferrets around here have been livin' near the city so long we name ourselves like you Humans.]

          "You all have names like regular human men and women?"

          [Not really. We name ourselves after stuff. My uncle's called Sushi, because he lives under the Niko Sushi restaurant. My dad loves eatin' chicken, especially early in the morning, so everyone calls him Ondori (The Rooster). And of course, 'cause the big boss ferret lives up on that mountain, he's Lord Yama.]

          "So what do I call you, then?"

          [Um…]

          "You're called Um?"

          […I'm called Itachi (Weasel), all right?]

          Naruto stared at the ferret for a moment, scratching his head.

          "I thought you just said you weren't a weasel."

          Itachi sounded embarrassed.

          [Okay, so I'm part weasel! My dad's a full-blood ferret, and that's what counts anyhow!]

          "If you say so. So you wanna hang around with me, is that it?"

          Itachi scurried up on the blonde boy's shoulder. [Why not? I'm bored. Other ferrets don't do much until nighttime anyway.]

          "I'm about to go take a test, though. Who knows if that's gonna be any fun?"

          [Will there be Human girls there?]

          Thinking about the teams that had survived, Naruto counted up how many included kunoichis. There was that Sand Village girl that teamed with Gaara of the Desert and the weird kid who played with dolls. Ino had made it, as had Hinata, Rock Lee's female teammate (what the heck was her name, anyway?), and of course, Sakura.

          "Yeah, a few girls. Why?"

          [Human girls go crazy when they see guys like me! You know, 'kawaii' this, 'kawaii' that, whatever that means. They feed ya, pet ya, and all kinds of good stuff, so I always go where the girls are!]

          Naruto slapped a hand to his forehead. _Of all the animals to hang out with, I get the perverted one_.

          "Well, good to see _someone's_ actually gonna have fun today. Come on, before I change my mind."

          [Sweet! I'm gonna get me some tender lovin' care!]

          _So much for rest and relaxation…_

          The little smile on Naruto's face as walked towards the forest, idly stroking Itachi's head, told the truth about how he really felt. Not everyone finds inner peace the same way, after all.

* * *

          Back at her house, Sakura dressed slowly, wondering what the Third Exam would be like. It couldn't have been any worse than the conversation she'd had with Uzumaki Setsuna the day before.

          Naruto's aunt had just looked at Sakura for a while after the girl had asked her to become her teacher, puzzled by the request.

          "What the heck do you think you can learn from me? I'm not a shinobi."

          Sakura looked down at her shoes in embarrassment.

          "No, but you can fight, and I can't. You're really strong."

          "The hell's that supposed to mean?"

          Setsuna sized the girl up. For someone the hyperactive Naruto was mooning over, she seemed a little plain, even weak. That had to be the problem. Her first instincts upon looking at Sakura had practically screamed "nerd."

          _Well, there's only one way to find out._

          "Hit me."

          Sakura looked up at Naruto's aunt, startled by the request.

          "W-what?"

          "Look, I just demolished a building, and I'm pooped. The last thing I need right now is to spend an hour or two trying to figure out whether you actually need training, or if you're just insecure. The easiest way to find out how strong somebody is will always be a straight-up fight. So gimme your best shot already. Punch, kick, whatever you're best at."

          "Okay…"

          Setsuna sighed, shaking her head at the timid tone of Sakura's reply.

          "Stop right there, Sakura. Talkin' weakly is just as bad as fightin' weakly."

          "What do you mean?"

          "Strength ain't only about your body. It's as much mental as it is physical. I ask you to give me your best shot, and you bust out with some weak-ass 'Okay?' If you don't really mean what you say or do, you're never gonna be a fighter. Just a talker."

          "I don't understand."

          Setsuna strode over to a nearby log and sat down, beckoning the pink-haired girl over.

          "You ever known any bullies in your life?"

          "A few at the Academy, I guess. And girls used to make fun of my forehead, until Ino stopped them."

          "Okay, think back to those bullies. How did they manage to push everyone around?"

          "Well, all the other kids would be afraid of them, afraid of getting beaten up."

          "You're getting the idea. In the end, when did all those bullies stop being threats?"

          Sakura considered the problem for a while, finally coming up with an answer.

          "When the kids saw through the words and figured out that the bullies were no different than them."

          "Right. See, some bullies probably are stronger than the average kid. But what really sets 'em apart is image. Actually, make that confidence. That's really all image is about.

          "You could be the strongest fighter in the world, but if you lack the confidence to do anything with that strength, it's all a waste."

          "So you're going to teach me confidence?"

          Setsuna threw her head back and laughed.

          "Confidence ain't taught. It's earned, built up gradually. Look, there's a good way for you to learn both strength and confidence from me, if that's what you really want."

          That got Sakura's attention.

          "How can I do it?"

          Setsuna pointed a thumb back in the direction of the village center.

          "You were there when I cleared the land for my restaurant, right? Come and work for me as a waitress in your spare time."

          "What does working as a waitress have to do with confidence or strength?"

          Uzumaki Setsuna had plenty of stories to tell Sakura, but something told her personal experience would work best here.

          "You don't think people are born knowing how to fight, do you? When I left the village, I was barely a teenager. I knew the _mechanics _of fighting, but I wasn't all that powerful. Did a few odd jobs, bounced around from place to place, until I got my first job as a waitress."

          She mimed carrying a heavy tray with one hand.

          "If your restaurant's busy, you'll run into stretches where you get swamped. Sometimes you'll be handling two, three, maybe even four tables' worth of orders at once. That can help improve your strength and balance in a hurry.

          "When customers get impatient, you also have to deal with them bitching at you about it. If you don't have thick skin, you develop it fast. The confident waitress can even learn to toss back a few choice insults."

          Sakura considered that prospect.

          "Won't you get fired for that?"

          "Ha! Maybe from the first job or two. But once you get good enough at what you do, you're home free. No manager would dare piss off an efficient veteran waitress, especially if it means having to train another one for months at a time.

          "As for you, I know what the job is like, so unless you're a complete waste of time, I ain't gonna fire you."

          Sakura looked down again, trying to decide.

          "Hey, you wanted training; it's your decision. Tell you what; think it over. Come back once the Chuunin Exam is over, and tell me what you want to do."

          Setsuna had left it at that, leaving the training ground to go take her nap. Sakura watched the older woman go, trying to figure out how she managed to look like a fighting machine one minute and a lazy sloth the next.

          A day later, here she stood, still trying to figure out if she should entrust her training to such a strange woman. The sheer force of Setsuna's personality kept on coming back to Sakura. How did anyone who wasn't a shinobi still have such strength, both physically and psychologically? Naruto, she understood. His energy came from his goal: to be recognized by the village, and become Hokage.

          What about Setsuna? It seemed her only goal in life was to eat and sleep. If for nothing else, Sakura figured working for the older lady might be worth it just to figure out what made her tick. But before then…

          The pink-haired girl sighed. _One more exam to go._ Win or lose, she probably wouldn't be any closer to finding her peace (or confidence) until the exam was done.

* * *

          With all that said and done, the three members of Team 7 approached the old bridge slowly, each occupied with their own issues. Sasuke said nothing as usual, leaving Sakura to notice the ferret perched on her teammate's shoulder. Naruto hadn't said a word to either of them, too busy clowning around with his new companion.

          Just as she was about to ask Naruto about it, a puff of smoke atop the arches above them announced Kakashi's arrival.

          "Yo!"

          Naruto looked up and glared at their sensei.

          "So what's your excuse this time, Kakashi-sensei? Pretty girl? You got lost?"

          "If you must know, I was at the library."

          Naruto and Sakura looked at each other and then up at their teacher. Like they usually did at times like this, they spoke in unison. 

          "Sensei, when did the village library start stocking porno?"

          Had they been behind the Copy Ninja, the two Genin would have seen a huge sweatdrop on the back of Kakashi's head. _I've really got to start hiding that book in something normal._

          "Hey, I read regular books too."

          Naruto smirked.

          "Yeah, and pigs fly."

          "Do you want to get to the exam or not?"

          "Oh, sure, keep us from reporting you for corrupting the youth of the village."

          Sakura smiled a little. At least some things hadn't changed about Naruto.

          As they walked through the roped-off path into the Forest of Death, Kakashi finally noticed the furry shape now draped across Naruto's shoulders, apparently asleep.

          "What's this, Naruto? Your new pet?"

          Naruto shrugged a bit, trying to wake the ferret up.

          "He's not a pet, Kakashi-sensei, he's just along for the ride. Itachi, say hello to Kakashi-sensei."

          The ferret looked up for a bit, wrinkled its nose and whiskers lazily at Kakashi, and laid down again.

          [Hi there…now go away.]

          "Oi, Itachi, look alive and show some respect, will ya? He's my teacher!"

          The ferret's sleepy mumble was accompanied by even lazier stretching.

          [If he were a _she_, I probably would. If he ain't petting or feeding me, then I got nothin' to say.]

          Naruto sighed. _He should have talked to Aunt Setsuna. They're a matched pair; except for the perverted part, anyway._

          "Sorry, Kakashi-sensei. Itachi's more a nighttime type, I think."

          Kakashi looked down at the sleeping animal. His mask moved in something resembling a smile.

          "Itachi, huh? An interesting choice of names."

          Naruto looked over at the Copy Ninja in confusion, and then shrugged.

          "Itachi's part-weasel; what's strange? And what's interesting about the name Itachi? It just means weasel anyhow."

          Too engrossed in talking to Kakashi, Naruto missed the odd twitch that flickered across Sasuke's face every time he mentioned the ferret's name; the same name as that damned older brother of his, Sasuke's hated foe. _Is that idiot BAITING me_? The mantra he'd repeated earlier began to recede, frustration and anger building up anew. Forgetting that Naruto couldn't have had the faintest idea what the name Itachi meant to an Uchiha, Sasuke concentrated all of the pent-up emotion in his head on a single target.

          _Who do you think you are? Learn one new technique and you think you're better than me? _

          _I don't care if it's during this exam, or afterwards. You and I are going to fight. Anywhere, anytime; I don't care._

          _I will be stronger than you. I HAVE to be stronger than you._

          Forget everything else; this was all that mattered. In a sense, it was all that had ever mattered after their first meeting.

          The four of them spent the rest of the walk in silence, everyone occupying their minds with their own concerns. Eventually, the central tower loomed in the distance. Naruto grinned to himself. _Time to get it on._

* * *

          Once all of the Genin were inside, they found themselves in a huge room, two balconies overhead and a large pair of hands carved into the wall, forming a seal. In front of the seal stood the Third Hokage, accompanied by all manner of shinobi from the Leaf Village, and the other villages being represented in the Exam.

          Each remaining team was arranged in a line, as their teachers filed up to the stage behind the Third, who walked forward a few steps and smiled down on them.

          "First, let me congratulate you all on passing the Second Stage of the Chuunin Exam. We will now begin the Third Stage. For those of you who had a hard time getting here, you'll be pleased to hear that this is the last part of the Exam."

          Naruto looked around as he heard a loud sigh go through the crowd. He chuckled to himself, seeing Ino whacking Choji across the head for being so obviously relieved at the news.

          "Are you a man or aren't you?"

          "Hey, if it means I can get back home quicker for dinner, I'm all for it!"

          Naruto shrugged. _None of my business, really…_ Choji was good for comic relief once in a while. What he was more concerned about was the team that had shown up with only two members. _Where's Kabuto-san?_

          Never one to keep quiet, the blonde boy raised his hand to ask a question.

          "Hey, where's Kabuto, the guy with the glasses?"

          His speech interrupted by Ino, Choji and Naruto, the Third cleared his throat and began again.

          "Yakushi Kabuto withdrew from the Chuunin Exam after the Second Stage, citing injuries received during that stage. His teammates, however, will continue on, leaving an even 20 Genin remaining to conclude everything.

          "Now, before I tell you what the Third Stage is all about, there is something you all should know. It concerns the real reason for the Chuunin Exam."

          Confusion quickly spread through the crowd of Genin. Nobody responded, so the Third continued on.

          "It's all well and good to talk about friendship among the allied nations. However, this test is, and always has been, nothing more than a replacement for war among our nations."

          In the rear of the group, Tenten and Rock Lee exchanged glances, the kunoichi speaking for both of them.

          "What's that supposed to mean?"

          The Third, his face normally smiling or gruff, looked uncommonly stern now.

          "Relations between the shinobi villages haven't always been so good. We're not far removed from the last great war for dominance. In the end, it proved to be a waste.

          "Instead, the allied nations created a stage on which a different battle could be fought, which eventually formed this Chuunin Exam." 

          Naruto puzzled over it, and didn't come up with any reason for the change.

          "What the hell does a bunch of Genin trying for promotion have to do with wars?"

          The Third's expression didn't change, unless you caught the sudden gleam of challenge, and maybe a little pride, in his eyes.

          "That much is true. Part of this exam is about deciding who has what it takes to be a Chuunin. But at the same time, it's also about prestige. In other words, the shinobi of each village risk their own lives to protect their land's reputation and power."

          For once, Sakura looked confused too.

          "Why prestige, Hokage-sama?"

          "This stage of the Exam is special. Previously, there were no witnesses other than your fellow candidates and the examiners. The Third Stage will have an audience, composed of influential leaders and individuals from all nations. You could say these are all potential clients of our villages.

          "The basic point should be obvious. Villages that do well in these battles will be seen as stronger. They will then attract more clients. Those who do poorly will see the opposite effect. Similarly, a weaker village may be seen as more vulnerable to attack by other forces. Political consequences are at stake here."

          Kiba's snarl broke through the nervous whispering in the Genin ranks.

          "Fine, then! But why do _we_ have to risk our necks?"

          The Third's reply carried both wisdom and experience.

          "The strength of the country is the strength of the village. And a village is only as strong as its shinobi. The only way to determine that strength is through life-risking battle."

          Tenten took over with a question.

          "So why all the stuff about friendship, if we're all going to be trying to kill each other?"

          "To a shinobi, friendship is nothing more than achieving balance through life, and the loss of life. That isn't the kindest view of life, to be sure, but then this isn't a kind profession.

          "So let me make things perfectly clear before we begin. You will battle with your lives on the line, and the stakes are not only your dreams. The honor and prestige of your nation lies in the balance as well."

          The Third stepped back as another Leaf ninja appeared.

          "Hayate, please begin."

          Racked by a fit of coughing, the examiner nodded to the Hokage and turned to the candidates.

          "Hello, everyone, I'm Hayate. Before the Third Stage begins, I'll have to ask you all to do something.

          "We're going to have a preliminary round, to determine who advances to the actual Third Stage."

          Shikamaru roused out of his usual laziness for once, voice raised in protest.

          "Preliminary? What the hell is this troublesome crap?"

          "Well, it seems that the first two stages of this year's exam may have been too easy. There are too many candidates left, and we only have so much time for the Third Exam, since the audience is full of busy people. Therefore, we need to reduce the number of candidates.

          "Anybody who doesn't want to continue should leave now, since the preliminaries will begin immediately."

          Naruto laughed. _Like I'm gonna wuss out now!_

          Sasuke wasn't laughing. _You utter moron…_ The thought had hardly come to him when the Sharingan user flinched, grabbing at his shoulder.

          More than one person watching him knew what that meant.

          _I told him not to get emotional_. Kakashi knew Sasuke wasn't stupid, but the Leaf Village couldn't afford to lose such a talent to Orochimaru. _If you give in to the curse seal, you're finished_. Anko had told him as much. _If I have to stop you from hurting yourself, even if it means pulling you out of this exam, I will_. 

          Sakura, closer to the problem, took hold of Sasuke's arm.

          "That seal thing is acting up again, isn't it? You shouldn't be fighting in this condition if you're still in pain!"

          When her teammate didn't respond, Sakura turned and took a step towards Kakashi, up on the stage. This time, Sasuke moved, blocking her path.

          "Shut up and stay out of this. Kakashi-sensei's already seen it. I've been working on controlling this thing.

          "This test doesn't mean anything to me. Promotion's not my goal. All I want to do is find out how strong I am. If I'm to be an avenger, I need to fight the strong; this is the best place to do it. If you get in the way of that, I won't forgive you."

          Naruto might not have been speaking much to Sakura, but he wasn't going to let that comment slide.

          "What's your problem? Sakura's worried about you, even if you damn well don't deserve it. Where do you get off threatening her?"

          "Naruto…" Sasuke gave him that annoying smirk. "I'll especially be looking forward to kicking your ass."

          The blonde boy's eyes narrowed, but he kept his mouth shut. _The hell you will. What do you want to do, steal my techniques?_ Better to keep up appearances, though.

          "Try it, if you think you can. I'm not gonna go down so easy. So if you wanna use that thing as an excuse when I whip your butt from here back to the Wave Country, then go right ahead."

          Before they could start throwing punches at each other, Hayate's voice intruded on the situation.

          "If there are no more takers, we'll begin the preliminary. It will be composed of one-on-one fighting, as if you were truly battling each other. Only the winners will advance to the finals.

          "A win is achieved either through a knockout or surrender; I may also stop the fight if I think a winner's been clearly established. Now, if you'll turn to the scoreboard on the back wall, we can start the first match. The battles will be determined by random draw."

          The draw had, in fact, begun as soon as Hayate had mentioned the electronic scoreboard, all of their names flashing across the screen as the order was determined.

          Eventually the two lines stopped flashing, as two names emerged.

          _Akadou Yoroi vs. Uchiha Sasuke_.

          "Very well," Hayate nodded to both of them, "let's have the two fighters step up, please. Will everyone else go to the upper level while you wait?"

          Naruto noted Kakashi stepping off the stage as he filed up the stairs with Sakura and the other Genin. _If you want a shot at me, you'd better not bow out here, Sasuke._

          The Copy Ninja had few words for Sasuke; he knew the boy wasn't in a listening mood, especially after nearly coming to blows with his own teammate.

          "I'll make it simple. Don't use the Sharingan, or any other jutsu. If that seal activates, you could be killed. Best to end it quick, if possible; if I see the seal activating I'll stop the fight myself. Got it?"

          His student nodded, attention mainly focused on Yoroi, standing still opposite from him with an unreadable expression. Kakashi shrugged. _He'll find out soon enough whether I'm serious_. 

          "All right, once the fight is over, I've found something that'll help with the seal. So there's your incentive to get this over with as fast as possible." 

          Sasuke kept his eyes on Yoroi. Even without the Sharingan, he knew things weren't going to be like normal. No fire jutsus, not even clones or body-switching. This would have to be a pure slugging match; something he wasn't ordinarily used to.

          Hayate stepped up between the two Genin, glancing first at one, then to the other. "Now then, please begin the match."

          With the speed that only comes from years of martial arts training, the combatants were a hundred feet apart in the blink of an eye. Each readied an attack, Yoroi's right hand surrounded by an eerie glowing energy while his other hand drew forth some shuriken. Without chakra, Sasuke could only reach for the kunai strapped to his thigh. _Let him make the first move; maybe he'll give away his strategy._ The masked Genin didn't keep him waiting long.

          Yoroi hurled a brace of shuriken at his foe; Sasuke hung back, still unimpressed. _That can't be all you're capable of. You never could have made it here if that was the only attack in your arsenal._

          Sasuke parried the thrown weapons with a cool wave of his kunai. _Come on, don't get all shy now. _At that moment, Kakashi's warning flashed across his thoughts, accompanied by a searing burst of pain from the curse seal. _Idiot! Pride's as much an emotion as anger or frustration. Don't get too high, or too low on yourself._

          Any happiness he could have found in realizing his mistake soon vanished. As the seal's flare-up staggered Sasuke, Yoroi closed in for the kill. The Sharingan user could hear his opponent's footsteps closing, but it was almost too late by the time he regained enough control over his rebelling body to get clear of the descending fist.

          _This isn't working._ He was too riled up over Naruto and too frustrated by Orochimaru's seal to stay focused for long, and keep the seal in check. Every time it flared, his mobility took a hit. The only way to win the fight would be to restrict Yoroi's movements. He had to wear down the masked boy's speed and agility until they were evenly matched again. Then, there might be a chance to land one good attack.

          With that in mind, Sasuke stopped his escape, plunging the kunai into the concrete floor. Swiftly capturing one of Yoroi's legs in a leg scissors, he levered the Leaf Genin down onto the floor, shifting the fallen body in order to trap one arm in a classic armbar, threatening to break it. _It won't hinder his movement much, but knocking down his attack potential will do._

          Straining to dislocate or break his opponent's elbow joint, Sasuke focused his energies on that task. As precious seconds flew by, he suddenly realized something was wrong with the situation. _Wait! Why isn't he struggling?_

          Sasuke had discovered his opponent's trap, but entangled as they were, there was no escape. Helpless, he watched with a curious detachment as Yoroi's hand turned around and made contact with his chest. There was no pain, but that wasn't the point of the attack, as Sasuke discovered.

          The flame that had enveloped Yoroi's hand began to glow even brighter than before, and suddenly the Uchiha boy's grip on that right arm began to slacken, strength gradually leaving his limbs. Soon enough, the masked Genin had pulled out of the armbar, retreating back across the arena.

          "My strength…what the hell did you just do?"

          Yoroi's only response to the weak-voiced question was to charge back towards Sasuke again, his glowing right hand a silent promise of more pain to come. Still in shock from the odd technique that had been performed on him, Sasuke never saw his opponent coming. A scream from above snapped him out of the trance.

          "Sasuke-kun!"

          He sat up, responding to the urgency in Sakura's shout, and immediately wished he hadn't, as Yoroi's hand latched onto his face. The weakness spread faster this time, a tired feeling sweeping through Sasuke's body as the seconds passed.

          "You…" he gasped brokenly, looking into the cold black lenses covering Yoroi's eyes, "…you're draining my…chakra?"

          "Good to see you're not a total fool. Finally noticed it, eh?"

          Above them both, up on one of the balconies, Orochimaru, cloaked in the form of a Sound Village Jounin, looked down on the battle.

          _Yoroi's ability is to drain his opponent's chakra by touching him with the palm of his hand; when you run out of chakra, my dear Sasuke, you will have no choice but to release the seal and rely on my power. That is, if you want to continue fighting, to keep growing stronger._

          Summoning what was left of his flagging strength, Sasuke wrested himself out of Yoroi's grasp. _What now? He's impossible to beat in close combat, not that I'd survive another shot from that hand of his. How am I supposed to win if I can't hit him from a distance OR up close?_

          As his rival ran through his options, Naruto watched the fight, feeling torn. On the one hand, he wasn't fond of seeing Sasuke win all the time. Then again, even if he hated to admit it, he was still proud of everything their team had accomplished. _Sasuke losing would totally screw with our good record so far._ Reluctantly, Naruto urged on his teammate, in the only way he could without feeling like an airhead cheerleader.

          "Hey, Sasuke! How are you gonna beat me if you can't even get past a one-trick pony like him? Get off your ass and finish this!"

          Even in later years, when their relationship had gone through twists and turns of all sorts, Sasuke would look back on Naruto's shout as one of the few times the spiky-haired boy had treated him as a friend, and in spite of himself, remember the moment with a smile.

          _I hate to say it, but the idiot's right. I've been going about this the wrong way. This guy relies on close combat, getting inside your guard and doing his thing. I have to take him out of his element to beat him. Without chakra, there's only one way to do that_. 

          Sasuke's thought process ended when Yoroi rushed forward again, fully intent on ending the match.

          "You don't have time to daydream, kid!"

          The audience had enough time to see the corners of Uchiha Sasuke's mouth rise a little, before he disappeared from view. When the Sharingan user reappeared, everything changed.

          Rock Lee was the first to notice what had happened, as he probably should have been.

          "Th-that's my…"

          He had a right to be stunned. Sasuke had just launched Yoroi airborne with the same taijutsu kick that Rock had used on him before the Exam.

          Naruto didn't remember what most of the thick-browed Genin's attacks looked like (he'd been unconscious both times Rock had fought for real), but he didn't have to. The other boy's expression said it all. Sasuke had copied another move with the Sharingan.

          Itachi woke up as his new friend's shoulders moved, shaking slightly as Naruto clenched his fists.

          [What gives, Speaker? You're shakin' me out of a nice dream here.]

          "It's not fair," Naruto muttered in a low whisper. "I worked my butt off learning all these new moves and abilities, and Sasuke could take most of 'em in the blink of an eye. What's the point of all that work if what's yours won't stay yours?"

          [Hey, he's not a Speaker, right? Never will be; he ain't got the blood for it.]

          "Take what I've got and be happy with it, huh?"

          [Something like that. For us wild creatures, life is short, and there could be something lurking behind the next tree waitin' to eat ya. Instead of getting down over it, we try to enjoy the good times, and try not to get too down in the bad times. It ought to be the same for you; focus on what you're good at, master the stuff nobody can take away. If you do that, what damage could this Sasuke guy hope to do?]

          "That so?" Naruto grinned, still whispering as he picked the ferret up off his shoulders and brought it up in front of him. "Then you and the rest of the animals can have your Speaker, on one condition."

          Itachi's whiskers quirked, like the arching of an eyebrow.

          [And that condition would be?]

          "When the Exam is over, win or lose, you're going to go into the forest as my mouthpiece. Find all the tribal leaders you can, and get them to sign summoning contracts with me."

          [Words are well and good, but ferrets don't carry much weight with the wolves, bears and other big shots out there. Without proof we're a team, I'd just be a snack once I set foot in predator country.]

          "Tell you what; I'll find something you can wear, and then we'll both go to the sparrows and tell them all about it. If they're going to set me up for the job, those birdbrains had better do some work for me."

          [If you say so...just don't forget about that proof, OK? I'm too cute to die!]

          Naruto snickered.

          "Don't flatter yourself, you lazy poofball."

          That issue resolved, Naruto put Itachi back on his shoulder, both settling down to watch the end of the fight. _You might be able to steal the Naruto Bakudan, Sasuke, but I'll make sure you can't steal anything else from me again._

          It wasn't something he could explain well, if at all. How could he, without giving away what he knew about his parents? Call Uzumaki Naruto sentimental, an emotional sap, if you wanted. None of his critics had had to live without parents for twelve years. The things he'd seen with Arashi, the memories of Haruka, were more than just training to Naruto. They were family moments; what he had been missing for so long.

          Setsuna was funny and treated him well, but right now, taking care of Naruto was just what she'd called it, a job. There was no guarantee his aunt would ever love him as Haruka would have. Until that moment came, all he really had were the things his parents had "taught" him. Uzumaki Naruto wasn't about to just let someone just come along and take that away. So he watched Sasuke work, and the distance between them, bridged just moments ago, silently widened again.

          Sasuke hadn't noticed. He was too busy dealing with Yoroi in mid-air. 

          "From this point out, I'm going totally original!"

          While feelings of triumph were usually good, in Sasuke's case they were disastrous. As he prepared to finish his opponent off, the seal flared to life again, even stronger than before.

          _NO! Not now, damn it! I was so close to letting Kakashi-sensei deal with the stupid thing!_

          He had a right to be angry, but it wasn't helping things. Sasuke could feel the burning pain spreading, to his face, shoulder, arms, everywhere. 

          _Calm down! Can't let it control you, or else Kakashi-sensei stops the fight!_

          How could he bow out so easily? It would disappoint Sakura (and probably set her off crying again), and he wouldn't be able to face Naruto in the actual battles, if it all ended here.

          _Don't be angry, or frustrated. Find peace, and you'll win._

          Below on the stage, Mitarashi Anko's jaw dropped wide open. Not only was the seal's spread slowing down, but…it was receding? _How can he have this much control?_

          It was easy, as long as Sasuke could remember not to feel anything about it. Keeping firmly focused on his goals, he spun Yoroi about, whipping a leg through the air aimed at the other Genin's side, only to be parried away by Yoroi's arm.

          "Ha! Not quite enough, kid!"

          Sasuke gave him the trademark smirk.

          "I'd agree with you…if I were actually done."

          His opponent had no time to respond; not when Sasuke had already spun about and booted him in the chin with his other foot. Following Yoroi down, Sasuke sped up the descent by punching the falling Genin in the face. _Let's end this now!_

          "One last shot for the road! Shishi Rendan (Lion Combo)!" 

          Yoroi didn't say anything this time, either. Then again, it's hard to say much when you've got a foot planted in your stomach, helped out by gravity. Both of them skidded apart upon making contact with the ground, but Hayate didn't have to check on the fighters in order to know who'd won.

          "The winner of the first preliminary, and first to reach the finals…is Uchiha Sasuke!"

* * *

          Naruto watched Sasuke and Kakashi leave the arena, as Hayate and some other Leaf shinobi cleared the floor of stray weapons so the next match could begin. What the two of them were going off to do, he didn't know, and didn't care. _Geez, how lucky could I get? If I get picked to fight next, I can pull all the tricks and techniques I want and Sasuke won't see any of them._ Not that he'd come up with any new ones, but if it happened during the fight, he'd have them all to himself (for a while, anyway).

          Glancing over at the scoreboard, he silently willed his name to come up; thus, when the second battle was set, he was probably the only one in the room who wasn't surprised.

          _Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba_. 

          "Bwahahahaha! Man, I must be psychic or something!"

          Kiba was laughing too, but for a different reason.

          "Wahoo! Talk about your strokes of luck; we can beat him for sure, Akamaru!"

          Naruto just grinned, leaping over the balcony railing to land on the floor below.

          "You gonna fight me, Dog Boy, or just keep barking? Ain't no way you can just _talk_ me to death! Heck, might as well use that pooch of yours to even up the odds a little!"

          Kiba came down from his perch just as quick, putting Akamaru on the ground next to him.

          "Ha! A straight-up fight against Naruto, the loser? I could take you myself!"

          Going down on all fours, Kiba began the fight.

          "Beast Effect Ninpou: Quadruped no Jutsu!"

          Whatever this new technique was, Naruto was stunned to see its effects on Kiba. The other boy's face had taken on an animal-like quality, nails lengthening into claws; his hands now looked more like paws. He didn't have time to observe much more, as Kiba charged straight at him.

          _Is he nuts? All I've gotta do is dodge!_

          Simple it might have been, in Naruto's mind. Except for one small problem, which he discovered as he tried to move away.

          _Oh, crap. You've gotta be kidding me._

          In all his excitement over being able to fight without Sasuke present, he'd forgotten about one tiny problem that was proving not so tiny after all.

          _The weights! Why did you put them in today? Hell, why did you leave them in after you found out what was going on? This is a fight; how the hell are you going to dodge Kiba's attacks if you're only half as fast as normal?_

          There was no way to ask for time to take the extra set of weights out, and no time to try and at least take his jacket off. _Just gotta find another way_. 

          He could focus chakra to his feet and use it to speed up his dodging, but that wasn't going to work forever, and he'd run out of chakra he needed for other techniques. _Think of something, or else running out of chakra's gonna be the least of your concerns!_  

          Naruto got a sinking feeling, racking his brain and coming up empty, even as he crouched to try and get clear of Kiba. This was going to hurt, in more ways than one. _I just KNOW Dad's gonna kill me for this._

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Yes, this one took a long time. I'm really, really sorry. Should have explained last time that I'm a law student, and I was taking the bar exam around the same time this chapter was being written, so most of my attention was on studying. Couple that with having to write a Sasuke-centric chapter, and I was a little lacking in motivation. ^_^;

Anyway, the exam's over, Sasuke's time in the spotlight is over for now, so things should speed up (hopefully). Yes, I know I messed up the order of the preliminary battles, but it was intended that way; consider this an AU from now on (because you'll get much better evidence of that in chapters to come).

And now, it's time for another episode of Naruto's Wild Kingdom! Let's have a look at Naruto's new "sidekick," Itachi…

**Today's Animal –Black-Footed Ferret (_Mustela nigripes)_**

**Look For: **A very large tan weasel with a black face mask. Nearly extinct.

**Length: **Body 15-18" long.  
  
**Habitat: **Prairie-dog towns in dry western prairies.  
  
**Range: **Parts of Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

**Survival:** Black-footed ferrets have been known to live up to 12 years in captivity.

The Black-footed Ferret usually lives in prairie dog towns, where it sometimes sits upright looking for a burrow to raid. A prairie dog that catches sight of it will dart quickly underground. The ferret, keeping its body close to the ground, stalks the prairie dog's burrow and peers into the entrance. If the prey is near the surface, the ferret lunges for it. Otherwise, it slithers down the tunnel. Prairie dogs make up the main staple of the ferret's diet although they occasionally eat mice and other small animals. This is the rarest North American mammal, and efforts are underway to save it from extinction.

Sources: Yahooligans Animal Info, www.ferretcentral.org, www.blackfootedferret.org

Next: Hampered by the extra set of training weights, Naruto struggles to find a way to overcome Kiba's superior speed (and animal helper). Can he find a way to keep shining brightly as a rising Leaf Village star, or will he fall to earth, out of the Exam? 


	10. Star Power

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 10 – Star Power**

Summary: Naruto, while traveling to the Third Stage of the Chuunin Exam, put on another set of weights to continue his training. As he was doing so, he met a young ferret, Itachi, who told him the animals of the Konoha forest were all trying to prepare him to assume the role of Speaker, something Naruto was reluctant to do until he found out that Speakers can summon powerful animals.

Once at the tower, the Genin found out they would have to fight preliminary battles just to get into the real Third Stage. Sasuke barely won his fight against Yoroi, managing to control Orochimaru's curse seal. Naruto was next up, fighting Kiba, but his enthusiastic training methods have landed him in trouble.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will be learning as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

Seen a shooting star tonight  
And I thought of me  
If I was still the same  
If I ever became what you wanted me to be  
Did I miss the mark or  
Over-step the line  
That only you could see?  
Seen a shooting star tonight  
And I thought of me

-Bob Dylan, "Shooting Star"

          _Wonder if you can feel strong, but incredibly stupid at the same time?_ Naruto harbored more than one embarrassed thought as he watched Kiba's charge. Still ready to dodge, he ran through his options.

          _I could take the hit; find out for myself how much extra strength Kiba got from that Beast Effect Ninpou. Maybe try to deflect it, like Mom would have done in the training ground, and use the momentum to buy time._

          That wouldn't cut it. One option might kill him, and running away from Kiba would only tire him out.

          _Anyway, if you're gonna run, you might as well stay in one piece._

          Just as Naruto was about to make a move, a voice in his ear startled him right out of his planning. 

          [Uh, Naruto? Speaker-type person? Are we just gonna stand here and get run over, or what?]

          "Itachi, what are you still doing here? I'm in the middle of a fight!" 

          The young Genin's ferret sidekick sounded exasperated.

          [What were ya expecting? Ya got so pumped up about getting to fight ya just jumped over the rail without sayin' anything! It was either hang on to yer shoulder or get turned into a big furry pancake!]

          "I'm sorry! Now get out of here, it's too dangerous!"

          [Too late!]

          Hearing the ferret's last-gasp warning, Naruto looked up, only to see Kiba plow into him, sending him flying towards the wall with a whoosh of expelled breath.

          _Where's Itachi? Can't let that poofball get hurt before he talks to the other tribes …_  

          Naruto grabbed his furry friend off his shoulder and cradled Itachi to his chest as his back slammed into the wall. Stunned by the impact, the spiky-haired Genin slid down off the wall, landing face-first on the floor as Itachi scrambled out from under him.

          Kiba laughed as he turned to Hayate.

          "Heh! He'll be taking a nice long nap!"

          From above the battlefield, many eyes watched Naruto lie there for a moment, perfectly still, as the ferret nipped cautiously at his ear, trying to awaken its friend. For most of them, their thoughts were the same.

          _Man, that was bad. What a loser…_

_          He's a weakling._

_          No way he could beat that other kid._

          Others in the audience knew better. Yamanaka Ino thought back a few weeks, remembering what the Sound-nins had done to Naruto in the Forest of Death.

          _If hitting a tree like that couldn't beat him, this won't either._

          Hyuga Hinata hadn't seen that earlier fight, but her opinion was no different.

          _Naruto-kun never gives up. If Kiba thinks the fight is over, he's wrong._

          Rock Lee turned to his teammates and sighed.

          "That was so lame. I thought Naruto-kun was strong…"

          His disappointment turned to surprise when he saw Neji and Tenten smile. 

          "What's so funny?"

          Tenten couldn't reveal what her father had told her about Naruto, but the battle in the forest would serve just as well as a reminder.

          "You haven't seen Naruto in action like we've seen him. Just watch."

          Sakura couldn't have agreed more. Naruto had once been an idiot, but she'd long since revised that opinion of him.

          _The more he fights, the stronger he gets. He never lets anything stop him from looking to his goal. I know he'll show Kiba what a mistake it is to just write him off like that…_

          Looking back at her teammate, she saw that Naruto was proving her right.

          He staggered to his feet, voice low but strong nonetheless. 

          "Hey, Dog Boy…that all you got?"

          Itachi, reassured that his friend was all right, scurried off to the balcony to watch the rest of the fight.

          [You better win, Speaker! Lose to one of those sellout dogs and his master, and you'll never hear the end of it from the wolves.] 

          Kiba's eyes widened as he saw his opponent rise to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, limbs unsteady, but otherwise looking ready to fight.

          "Big words from somebody bleeding all over the place. Stop acting all cocky, you loser!"

          "Cocky? I was just testing how strong you've become. Since you still suck, you might as well start using the puppy too, and even up the odds!"

          If there was one thing Naruto had figured out about Kiba, it was that his opponent had something in common with Akamaru – the animal mind. Provoke an animal beyond a certain limit, and it would inevitably snap. If that happened, Kiba could sink to the level of an animal, attacking blindly and without strategy. It went without saying that Naruto would have a much easier time winning.

          From the look on Kiba's face, the blonde boy figured his plan was working.

          "You asked for it, punk. Akamaru, let's go!"

          Naruto didn't much mind the little dog joining in; a bite here and there wouldn't faze him. Kiba had other things in mind. Grabbing a smoke bomb, he hurled it at Naruto's position.

          "You want two-on-one? You've got it!"

          _Okay, that was unexpected._ Naruto frowned as the cloud of smoke billowed around him, obscuring his vision and rooting him to the spot. He couldn't dodge, for fear of running into either Kiba or Akamaru. Neither could he attack, if there was no way to see a target. He'd just have to hope his reflexes were good enough to dodge an attack if he somehow saw it coming.

          They weren't. Not with so much weight on his shoulders and legs that he could barely run. Quick, stinging strikes all over his body sent pain shooting through Naruto, staggering him again.

          _Time to switch plans. Get out of the smoke and go back to square one. Stay strong until Kiba goes berserk…if that ever happens._

          What other option was there? He plunged forward, feeling a little triumph when he smelled clean air again, free of the blinding cloud. It felt good to be in the clear again…up until Akamaru leaped up at him, latching on to his arm with a deep bite. Startled, in pain, Naruto stumbled back into the smoke and disappeared from view along with Akamaru.

          Kiba watched his opponent's fall and grinned; that smile widened even further when the smoke began to clear. Naruto lay still again, a barking Akamaru next to him.

          "Who's all talk and no fight now, loser? Come on, boy, let's go celebrate!"

          Nobody thought it strange that the little dog leaped in the air and turned a somersault as he approached Kiba; if the fight was over, master and dog could afford to celebrate. The fanged Genin was certainly ready to catch Akamaru, arms held wide open as he laughed in triumph.

          "Keep laughing, funny man…it'll be your last one!"

          Kiba's eyes widened in horror as "Akamaru" exploded into a cloud of smoke. Stunned, he couldn't get out of the way before Naruto whipped his leg around in midair and blasted a foot into his opponent's jaw.

          "Get a clue, Dog Boy. I ain't gonna drop the match just because of a bite or two."

          For once, the weights on the blonde boy's legs had come in handy, knocking Kiba for a loop. The fanged boy went flying, falling to the floor and skidding back to the wall on his side of the room. Naruto landed in a ready position, trying to predict Kiba's response. As he did, the weights in his clothes came together with a soft clanking noise. With the combined noise from Kiba's pained growls, Naruto's labored breathing and the murmuring of the audience, the metal noise nearly went unnoticed…except for one keen set of ears underneath a bowl cut.

          "What are you nodding for, Gai-sensei?"

          Tenten looked over to see her team's teacher looking down at Naruto, an approving gleam in his eye. Maito Gai simply turned to Neji.

          "Neji-kun, why don't you take a peek and tell your teammates whether or not young Naruto has anything hidden in his clothing?"

          A few hand seals later, the pulsating veins on Hyuga Neji's face told his teammates that he was using his birthright, the Byakugan.

          "Are those metal weights?"

          "Indeed," said Gai with a grin and his trademark flashing teeth. "It seems Naruto-kun had the same idea as our Lee, and is using weights to increase his strength and agility. That would explain why his reaction time has been so slow."

          Tenten looked down at Naruto, who did seem to be moving slower than he had been in the forest.

          "But Lee's been using those weights for more than a year, and Naruto was moving much faster in the forest, barely two weeks ago. Nobody gets used to so much extra weight so soon. Isn't he taking too big a risk?"

          Gai nodded sternly, but the approval in his expression hadn't changed.

          "That may well be true. Still, I admire Naruto's spirit and determination. He could have removed those weights and tried to battle normally, once he knew what the test would be. Instead, he chose to fight under that extra burden, accepting adversity to make himself stronger.

          "Now he's risen to meet the difficulty, as you saw. By tricking Kiba into ignoring that somersault, Naruto was able to use momentum and the weight on his leg to add force to his kick. A fine example of the power of youth, that boy, turning adversity into an advantage."

          Rock Lee looked down at the younger Genin, and a little thrill of expectation ran through him. It had happened when Uchiha Sasuke had shown off his skills in the last battle as well. _I misjudged him…show me how great a threat you really are, Naruto-kun!_

          Kiba scrambled to his feet, swaying a bit as his legs wobbled. Naruto might have gotten one hit in, but he wouldn't get lucky again.

          "If you're there, then where's Akamaru?"

          "Looking for this?"

          He turned to see another Naruto holding the little dog in the air by its two front legs.

          "Come on, Kiba, don't tell me you're only good at running on all fours. Give it all you got, or go home!"

          Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously as Kiba drew something out of his pocket, an odd smile spreading slowly across his face.

          "Careful what you wish for, loser…"

          Too busy trying to figure out what Kiba meant by that, Naruto nearly missed the other Genin's fingers flicking something at Akamaru, which the dog swallowed. _What's he doing, feeding the dog? Why would he do that now?_

           It became clear why Kiba was feeding Akamaru when the little pooch suddenly wasn't so little anymore. His coat turning bright red, the dog lashed out at the Naruto-clone holding him, banishing it.

          "Hey, referee!" Naruto roared, pointing a finger at this new Akamaru as he turned to Hayate. "He just drugged his dog or something! You gonna let that slide?"

          "If I'm not mistaken, that's a Soldier Pill he used; it's a ninja weapon like any old blade or bomb."

          "Aw, screw you anyhow," the blonde boy yelled back. "Not like I was expecting any favors from anybody in this village. I ain't gonna make it so easy for all of you to keep me down!

          "Drug him, clone him, clone yourself, whatever! You think you're so tough, Kiba? Take a pill yourself and come on!"

          Watching Naruto's outburst, the Third Hokage shook his head slowly, thinking back to the last wishes of the boy's father. _I've failed, Arashi. Not letting the villagers see him as a hero was one thing, but standing by as they belittled him and ignored him was just as foolish._

          The Third didn't have to be inside Naruto's head to know why the boy had had such a knee-jerk reaction. _They've held him down so long he thinks everyone is against him unless they prove otherwise, like Iruka. Even his goal of becoming Hokage isn't really for the good of the village. Naruto just wants to show that everyone was wrong about him. Should he someday be pushed over the edge, anyone in his way might be in serious danger. I'll have to work on that…_

          Now and then, when Naruto wasn't acting up, he looked like any normal boy. Right now, he didn't look normal at all. Rage twisted his mouth in a snarl that promised extreme pain for Kiba.

          His opponent wasn't looking, busy meeting up with Akamaru to attack anew. It seemed he'd taken a Soldier Pill like Naruto had predicted, features growing more feral by the minute as the medicine took effect.

          "Akamaru, let's do it! Juujin Bunshin (Beast Human Bunshin)!"

          Smoke billowed again, and when it cleared, two Kibas crouched across from Naruto, ready to attack.

          "What, you're gonna beat me by making me look at your ugly mug _twice_? Come and get me, you pill-popping junkie!"

          Outwardly angry, Naruto was calmer than ever inside, hoping to make Kiba think he was out of control. Kiba's attacks so far had all been animal-like, and now he looked even less human than before. Apparently, implying that the Soldier Pill was cheating had pushed Kiba closer to the edge. His original plan might be working after all. Now he just had to survive and think of a way to outmaneuver his foe when Kiba lost all rational thought.

          The fanged Genin wasn't going to give him that chance, rushing forward along with the other Kiba (or was it the other way around, with Akamaru was in front?). Naruto dodged one, and then the other Kiba, but with each near miss, his opponent's claws drew closer to ripping him apart. _You already know it's not enough to run, and you can't keep this up forever. Try something different!_

          Maybe jumping up instead of aside would throw his enemy off. Out of ideas, Naruto tried it out. As soon as he saw the triumphant look on Kiba's face, he knew he'd made a terrible mistake. _So much for something different._

          "Juujin Taijutsu Ougi (Beast Human Taijutsu Ultimate Technique)! Gatsuuga (Piercing Fang)!"

          Both Kibas began to spin as they leaped towards him, quickly blurring into twin torpedos of claws and teeth. Naruto barely had time to register the attack before he felt the tearing sensation of his flesh being slashed from head to toe. Leaking blood everywhere, he fell to earth once more, ragged breathing evidence of the damage he'd suffered.

          Kiba taunted Naruto with a derisive laugh as he landed.

          "Some fighter you are! Where's that stupid catchphrase you always use, loser? You think you can still become Hokage with that level of skill? Hell, I'd be a better Hokage than you! Give it up!"

          Yuuhi Kurenai, sensei of Team 8, looked around, startled out of her contemplation of the fight. Had she heard someone scoff at Kiba's taunt?

          "…Fool."

          Kurenai's eyes narrowed as she identified the speaker, chuckling softly to himself. What would Gai know about a Genin who wasn't even under his care?

          "What's so funny, Gai?"

          "Oh, nothing," the taijutsu master replied. "I was just amused at how Kiba keeps sabotaging himself."

          "What're you talking about?"

          Gai nodded down at Naruto, still lying there as Kiba laughed.

          "Naruto-kun has a spirit and will unmatched by any Genin I've seen in this Exam so far, except perhaps our Lee or Neji. The more Kiba-kun insults him, the stronger Naruto's determination becomes, and the harder he'll fight."

          Kurenai shrugged.

          "You talk about willpower, but Naruto's the one lying there all torn up. I'd say our Kiba's progressed far past him." 

          "Nothing ever happens without someone's will behind it. If your heart's not in it, if passion is lacking, you'll never be able to accomplish anything. As long as you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to get it. I may not be Naruto-kun's teacher, but from what I've seen and heard of him, I know he's thinking much the same thing.

          "If Kiba were really capable of finishing Naruto off, why would he waste time taunting him? Do you let your Genin gloat over small successes, before their objective is achieved?"

          Kurenai flinched as the other Jounin's reply struck home. Gai was right; Kiba was giving the spiky-haired boy too much time to think of a counter to the Piercing Fang. Against somebody as driven as Naruto seemed to be, that could be a lethal mistake.

          At the railing, Hinata silently agreed with Gai, though she said nothing as usual. _Kiba-kun…sure, we're teammates, but you're wrong right now. It's a big mistake to put Naruto's dreams down. He'll only get angrier with you, and want to beat you even more. The real Naruto isn't the loser you say he is…I know it._

          As he had unknowingly proven Sakura right earlier, now Naruto would prove Gai and Hinata right.

          "…you become Hokage? I'd sooner see that jerk Sasuke take the title than have a low-IQ, dog-breath, pill-popping, half-animal jackass like you lord it over this village. Guess I better kick your ass for the good of future shinobi!"

          He staggered to his feet, wiping away the blood that streamed from his head and mouth with one arm. The other, stained dark with drying blood and sweat, hung limply at his side, either broken or useless.

          Kiba laughed again, but there was no mirth in it this time, only cold anger. Launching himself at Naruto again, he beckoned the other Kiba on with a nod of his head.

          "Losers like you just don't know when to quit. I'll do you a favor and shut you down myself!"

           Watching above, Sakura gasped. Naruto had begun running forward, even as the two Kibas started spinning, preparing to use the Piercing Fang. _Is he insane? Get out of the way! You can't fight with one arm!_

          Shikamaru smirked, seeing the pink-haired girl's distress. Sakura had it all wrong. The faint smile he saw on Naruto's face told the real story. _You had a good run, Kiba, but you shoulda finished him off while you had the chance. "That" Naruto isn't standing in front of you anymore._

          The confusion Sakura had felt spread through the audience when Naruto leaped up to meet his opponent's charge, spinning in the opposite direction of the fanged shinobi and his dog-clone. Was Naruto trying to commit suicide? The answer came in the form of a loud, resounding _clang_.

          "Gatsuuga Hangeki (Piercing Fang Counter)! Henkou Kaiten (Deflection Spin)!"

          "YES!" 

          Sakura's exultant shout was just one of the reactions to the sight before everyone's eyes: Kiba and Akamaru's claws had met Naruto's "armor" – the training weights – head on, and been turned aside.

          Neji and Tenten started as their sensei began to clap, applauding the counter move, joined quickly by Lee.

          "Brilliantly done, Naruto-kun!" 

          Tenten was in shock. _This_ was the no-account, loser, dead last Naruto she had always heard about?

          "I don't understand…what did he do?"

          Neji answered for Gai and Lee, who were still too busy roaring something about "youth power" to say anything. 

          "Naruto must have used the time when Kiba was taunting him to review the Piercing Fang, and figure out where Kiba would try to hit first. When Kiba came at him, he jumped in order to meet the attack. When it came, Naruto positioned one set of weights each to block the first claw or hand attacks from Kiba and Akamaru. The momentum from his counter-spin made the impact even harder on his opponents, like two carts crashing together. Given that it's flesh and bone versus metal, it probably hurts like hell."

          Hyuga Neji wasn't one to look favorably on anybody, least of all a kid who had always been a failure at the Academy. Still, he had to admit Naruto had flair and a good tactical mind…even if his social skills didn't come close to matching his fighting skills. _Think I'll have some interesting matches when the real battles begin._

          Kiba wasn't interested in cheering anybody on. He landed gingerly, cradling his right hand and favoring his right leg, Akamaru-Kiba mirroring his actions with opposite limbs.

          "What the hell are you, a robot? Walkin' around with armor all over the place or something…ya loser."

          Naruto ignored the insult and reached up with his left arm, taking off his headband. Tying it slowly to his belt, he threaded his limp right arm through the headband in an improvised sling. When he was done, his reply echoed through the room, and changed more than a few first impressions.

          "LOSER? GIVE UP? Where's the real Kiba and what the #@^#)*% did you do with him?"

          "What're you talking about? I'm as real it gets!"

          "Are you?" Naruto sneered, contempt evident in every word. "I'll tell you what a loser really is, Kiba. A loser bows his head, or bends a knee before the fight's lost or won! A loser gives up when there's still a way to win because he thinks it's impossible, or that he can't do it. A loser taunts his opponent instead of finishing him off because he knows, deep in the back of his mind, that he doesn't have what it takes to win. That's not a shinobi. That's a waste of space!

          "Wanna call me a loser? Kiba, the only way you'll ever earn the right to call Uzumaki Naruto a loser _IS IF YOU KILL ME FIRST!_"

          Naruto unzipped his jacket slowly, turning to present his undamaged left side to the enemy, and then held his arm out, palm up, unconsciously mimicking Rock Lee's usual stance.

          "You're welcome to try…but don't kid yourself into thinking you can."

* * *

          His original tactic was simple enough, but Naruto had discovered one major flaw in it while he was face down. _Say what you like about momentum and using the weights to your advantage. In a straight fight, even if Kiba ain't thinking straight, his reflexes and instincts are still too fast for you to hit him with a knockout blow. At least not without cutting his mobility WAY down._

          His only non-physical weapon was the Naruto Bakudan, but training at home had taught him the bomb jutsu had its limits. The explosion was powerful, but its range was short, perhaps ten feet all around him. Worse, if his opponent had fast enough reflexes, the brief flash and thermal pulse at the beginning of the explosion would be enough warning for them to get clear. _If that happens, not only have I not done any damage, I'm running low on chakra._

          How could he do it? With so many distractions during the rest period, he'd had no time to practice better chakra control or modifying the Naruto Bakudan. _It's not like I can do the damn thing in steps, or only halfway…_

          Or could he? The only thing that came to mind was risky, but he'd be damned if he'd give up just because of a little danger. Not when the prize for winning this fight might be a showdown with Sasuke.

          _Who wants to live forever anyway?_

* * *

          Ino, silent for most of the fight, was the first to notice it. For something that had looked limp and useless, Naruto's right arm was looking oddly okay, twitching subtly. _Is he trying to hide a weapon in there?_

          Shikamaru was way ahead of her in his analysis. _Couldn't be a throwing weapon; Kiba would just dodge it. And regular weapons wouldn't work either. What's his game?_

          Only two people in the room could know for sure, and Rock Lee turned to one of them.

          "Neji, is it just me, or is his arm moving after all?"

          Once more, Hyuga Neji activated his Byakugan, and immediately an unfamiliar look of confusion crossed his face.

          "What's wrong?"

          "He's doing…hand seals? With only one hand?"

          Lee turned to his sensei, the question evident before he even spoke.

          "Gai-sensei, you can't do jutsus with one hand, can you? Every one I've ever seen was with two-handed seals!"

          "That's not necessarily true," the Jounin muttered. Plainly, he too was a little in the dark. "Some advanced bloodlines have inherited techniques that can be done with one hand. I've heard Mist shinobi, for example, have such attacks."

          Tenten silently wondered whether or not blood had anything to do with Naruto's strange behavior. _Is this one of the Fourth's jutsus, or something his mother could do?_

          Everyone had their theories, but all that mattered was what would happen below, on the field of battle.

          Kiba wasn't going to let Naruto badmouth him forever. Pulling out a handful of shuriken, he and Akamaru charged, intent on planting his opponent six feet under. Sakura, her worries about Naruto forgotten in the heat of this battle, screamed a warning as dog and boy disappeared from view.

          "Naruto! They're going behind you!"

          Kiba, Akamaru and Hayate were the only ones who heard the blonde Genin's quiet reply.

          "Above, below, behind, in front. Makes no difference."

          Charging at full speed, momentum carrying him fully forward, Kiba could only watch in horror as Naruto's "useless" arm whipped out of the headband sling to meet his left hand in a seal.

          Then his vision exploded in a flash of brilliant light, brighter than the sun in the sky, searing one last image of Naruto's back in his mind before his eyesight was replaced by darkness and agonizing pain.

          "AAAARGH!"

          Sakura had seen that final seal before. That meant she was the only one who managed to shield her eyes before the corona of light spread to the rest of the room. As the light faded, she called down to him, voice shaking with uncertainty.

          "Naruto, what was that? That wasn't the bomb you used on the Mist-nins…"

          "Fire Element: Kaitei Naruto Bakudan (Revised Naruto Bomb), Ningen Hoshi no Jutsu (Human Star no Jutsu). Twice the flash, none of the bang."

          "Why is Kiba in so much pain if it's just a big flash bomb?"

          Shikamaru, blinking the afterimages out of his eyes, answered for Naruto.

          "Ever stare straight at the sun? Didn't it make your eyes water if you looked too long? Now imagine looking at light that's ten, maybe a hundred times brighter, directed straight in your eyes at close range. What do you think would happen?"

          Sakura wondered why Naruto hadn't said anything; the reason became clear as she saw her teammate strip off his jacket, winding it around his right hand. His hands came together one more time, in his favorite seal.

          "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

          Six Naruto clones emerged, two going to pin down one Kiba and the other four arranging themselves all around the second Kiba.

          "Keep the dog out of this, and send his master my way."

          The first two Naruto clones shoved one Kiba aside, while the other four seized the second Kiba, still stunned from the injury to his eyes, and hurled him toward the real Naruto, who threw a punch as his opponent came near. Naruto's balled-up jacket met Kiba's face with a dull thud, the shoulder weights becoming an impromptu set of brass knuckles. Naruto watched his opponent fall to the ground in a boneless heap.

          "You want to see a loser, Kiba? Just look in the mirror."

          Hayate didn't need to check the fallen Genin to know who'd won.

          "The winner of the second match is Uzumaki Naruto!"

          [You're not one for a quick finish, are you?]

          Naruto looked up to see Itachi scramble up his legs and back onto his shoulder, as he climbed up the stairs.

          "As long as the job gets done, I can take a little pain."

          [I'm sure it had nothing to do with lucking into a stupid opponent who didn't take advantage of your screw-up, right?]

          The spiky-haired Genin stopped dead in his tracks, a big sweatdrop on his head.

          "Har har. Tell anybody about this and I'll never show you to a human girl again, ya mouthy poofball."

          [Hey, I'm just sayin'…]

          He felt, rather than saw, the change in the air, the looks in the eyes that followed him back to the balcony. Some were appreciative, others contemplative. A few might even have been sizing him up for some odd purpose. Naruto had only seen stares like that directed at Sasuke before, and it unnerved him a bit. _What, have I turned into a red-eyed jerk?_

          Kids will be kids, after all.

* * *

          "Um…Naruto-kun…"

          Pulling his jacket back on, Naruto nearly missed Hinata's soft voice as he passed her. He turned to see the timid girl holding out a tiny jar to him.

          "T-this is for you…"

          "What's in the jar?"

          "It's medicinal cream, Naruto…" Kurenai said slowly. "Just take it."

          "Gee, thanks, Hinata. I'll use it while I'm cheering ya on or something!"

          Naruto sweatdropped again when Hinata went bright red. _What'd I say?_

          Kurenai watched Naruto and Hinata, going over the fight again in her head. She grudgingly admitted it had been a learning experience. Naruto should have had no chance against Kiba, but he'd proved otherwise. And his last attack…

          _For almost any other jutsu, doing half the seals would be useless. But from what I could see, all that technique requires is to focus chakra and then expel it. By only doing seals with one hand, Naruto prevented himself from achieving full power, resulting in a flash, but no explosion. All he had to do was make sure the last seal was two-handed, because it provided the trigger for the technique. By that time, Kiba's momentum was so great he couldn't react to the seal._

          This was not the Naruto she had heard so much about. If anything, this fight struck up a hint of shame in Kurenai. _From the start, we're taught never to make assumptions about anything, be it a mission or an opponent. But there I was, assuming Naruto couldn't win_. That assumption had cost her student greatly. Kiba would likely be temporarily blind for weeks, maybe months, given his proximity to the flash. Being struck twice in the head with metal-clad kicks and punches might have given him a concussion.

          Kiba _had_ done well against such a strong opponent. Yet he had thrown away every chance Naruto had given him to win, through his overconfidence. That was her fault. _I suppose I should thank you, Uzumaki Naruto. Because of you, my Genin will learn not to underestimate anyone or anything…especially someone who's supposed to be "dead last."_

          Sometimes the most important lessons are learned from something other than victory. For that, if nothing else, Yuuhi Kurenai would respect the boy she'd been so quick to count out from now on.

          Others felt much the same. The Third Hokage had thought he'd known what to expect from his successor's son, and his surprise was evident. _He's got your brains, Arashi, the creativity of a prankster. Goading the enemy into a blind attack, and acting as though he was too unstable to be so cunning. The respect he's dreamed of getting may not be too far off now, eh?_

          Sakura had celebrated Naruto's win, but not only because they were teammates. The last taunt that had driven Kiba to attack him only reinforced Setsuna's earlier lesson. As she watched Naruto talk to Hinata, everything Naruto's aunt had said finally clicked.

          _Strength without confidence is weakened, like Hinata; confidence without strength will only get you so far, like Kiba. The only way to ever be effective, in battle or otherwise, is to combine the two, as Naruto did._

          Lacking strength and confidence, Sakura's path was clear. Weird or not, lazy or not, taking Uzumaki Setsuna's guidance was probably the only way she would ever become a good shinobi. And if she had to wear some stupid uniform or serve food, well, so be it. Some things you just had to grit your teeth and bear for your own good…a little like having to deal with Naruto, in fact. If she could do that, she could deal with his aunt.

          Being able to deal with her future training was one thing. Sakura's brief moment of determination ended when she heard the sound of the scoreboard above her begin to sort names. To begin training, she had to get through the Chuunin Exam first; no small feat. Would her name come up next?

          Getting things over with wasn't going to be so easy. When the shuffling lights stopped, it was someone else's turn to step up and come to blows.

          _Hyuga Neji vs. Hyuga Hinata_.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Well, another part done. Thanks go out to my pre-readers again, both official and unofficial; you know who you are. This one took me a while, because ending a fight with a fart really doesn't fit my style. ^_^; Anyway, it's Hinata's turn in the spotlight next, and she's going to have quite a battle on her hands. The preliminary fights from this point on will be one per chapter, and I'll probably skip a couple of the meaningless ones (like Dosu vs. Choji), to get back into the real action.

To the reviewer who complained about non-canon…I started this fic by saying it was something of an AU, and I said it again last chapter. I'll stick as close to canon as possible, but ultimately this story will be something new (and hopefully improved). Please keep the reviews coming; with the new direction this story is taking, your reviews and thoughts are more important than ever in letting me know what's working, and what isn't. Plus, they're quite encouraging. 

Okay, relationship-wise…I am planning on doing something, but it won't happen for quite a while, other than having new friendships and rivalries. As several people have said, these kids are just that – kids. They've got more important things on their minds right now than dating. ^_^;

Next: Neji and Hinata are family; shouldn't that mean they look out for each other? Naruto may find that his ideals about families aren't exactly the rule in the Leaf Village, as he watches a battle that could easily turn deadly for one or both fighters.


	11. Fight or Flight

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 11 – Fight or Flight**

Summary: Hampered by his training weights, Naruto got battered around by Kiba, but as usual, he found a way to win, by converting the Naruto Bakudan to a flash bomb attack and using the weights as brass knuckles, knocking Kiba out.

Now, it's Hinata and Neji's turn to fight for a place in the Finals.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will be learning as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

To walk within the lines  
Would make my life so boring  
I want to know that I  
Have been to the extreme  
So knock me off my feet  
Come on now, give it to me  
Anything to make me feel alive  
  
Is it enough to love?  
Is it enough to breathe?  
Somebody rip my heart out  
And leave me here to bleed  
Is it enough to die?  
Somebody save my life  
I'd rather be anything but ordinary, please  
I'd rather be anything but ordinary, please

-Avril Lavigne, "Anything But Ordinary"

          _Hyuga Neji vs. Hyuga Hinata._ As soon as the names stopped shuffling on the scoreboard, Naruto felt the white-eyed girl in front of him start to tremble. He wasn't sure how to react, knowing little about Hinata or the other Hyuga. Vaguely he remembered someone saying Hyuga Neji had been last year's number one rookie. If that were true, he didn't envy Hinata facing the prior class version of Sasuke.

          "What's wrong with you, Hinata? Nobody ever won a battle by being scared from the very start."

          It was when she didn't respond that Naruto knew this wasn't just another case of the jitters. Walking down past him, zombie-like, the life had gone out of her already pale eyes. _She's not just anxious. She's terrified. What the hell is that Neji guy capable of?_

          The boy in question knew exactly what he could do. It filled Hyuga Neji with a confidence that made everything seem clear. He and Hinata were related in only one thing: blood. In all other aspects of life, they would never – could never – be equal. Be it social status, martial skill, natural talent or even looks (though Neji would never admit to thinking about it), they were worlds apart.

          So when his well-trained eyes gazed upon Hinata, as they faced each other before Hayate, Neji exulted. _Just once, I can do what I like, and there is no one from the main house that can do anything about it. For once, fate is on my side._

          He believed in fate, more than any other force in the universe (except maybe gravity, and everyone knew that was real). What else could explain a life like his? Losing a father at a young age, while himself bearing the burden of the Hyuga branch house's terrible curse? If he'd been a girl, Neji would have looked like the damsel in distress from some badly written romance novel. It was something he loathed. Fate or no fate, Hyuga Neji wasn't going to let anyone think he had to be saved, let alone pitied.

          It explained a lot about why he loathed his cousin. For one thing, Hinata drove home their relationship every time she called him "Brother Neji."

          He wasn't sure whether she meant it, and it really didn't matter. The very idea of someone from the main Hyuga line being like a sibling to a branch Hyuga was ludicrous. _The main house holds all the power. We could die on a whim from any one of them, with just a simple hand seal. How is that supposed to let us be a united house?_

          Today was different from the usual Hyuga tradition. Nobody could accuse him of scheming to hurt a main house member; in fact, there'd be precious little they could do even if he _killed_ the girl now standing in front of him. All he was doing was following the course fate had set.

          Hyuga Neji wondered what the odd feeling was that had racked him when he had that thought. An under-used conscience has that effect on people.

          Hinata was dealing with her own odd feelings, but they had nothing to do with her conscience. How could eyes that were just like hers have been so different, so cold and hateful that it made her quail just from the sight of them?

          Naruto would laugh at her for being so silly. If you thought about it, she hadn't just been silly; she was probably also guilty of stupidity. Seeing Neji's feelings for what they were, Hinata realized how very ignorant she had been of Hyuga family politics.

          This was not going to be a regular sparring match, like if she had fought Kiba or Shino. Her opponent would do just about anything to hurt her, maybe even kill her. It didn't matter that she'd never done anything to him; all her cousin would see right now was a main house Hyuga. It was hardly a pleasant thought, and it only made her feel worse about the fight. Neji was talented; make that _extremely_ talented, and Hinata had no ego to tell her she was just as good (which she probably wasn't anyway). 

          She _did_ have something just as good as an ego, however. _Nobody ever won a battle by being scared from the very start_. Was it the medicine she'd given Naruto that had made him notice her this once? Was it just something he'd been meaning to do for a while? Whatever had prompted it, Hinata held on to the blonde boy's hasty advice like a life preserver. She couldn't afford to look pathetic or weak in front of him. In any other fight, any other mission, she could afford to be her usual self. Not here. Not now.

          As if sensing that the mental tide was turning, Neji chose that moment to speak.

          "Since you always insist on calling me 'Brother,' I suppose I should live up to the name, and give you a warning." 

          Above them both, Naruto blinked.

          "Brother? They're siblings?"

          A hand on his shoulder made the blonde Genin look up, into the eyes of Gai, standing near him with Rock Lee and his other student (whose name he still didn't know).

          "Were it only so simple, Naruto…they share the same name, but I fear they share little else."

          The taijutsu master looked over at his prize pupil, watching Neji with a tense expression.

          "Lee! You know more about Neji than anyone. Why don't you explain what Neji and Hinata's relationship is all about?"

          "Right, sensei! I'll fill you all in on it.

          "There is technically more than one Hyuga family. There's a main house, which Hinata belongs to, and a branch house, which Neji is a part of."

          "That still means they're cousins, right?" Sakura said, listening in on the conversation. "Must be tough having to fight your own family member."

          "It would be, Sakura-san, if they considered themselves like family. But that's not the case. I'm no expert on the Hyugas, but it seems their two houses don't exactly get along anymore. Too many bad feelings between them, for a reason I've never learned."

          "Doesn't end there, either." Shikamaru had wandered over, figuring talking would be less troublesome than watching the two Hyugas just stand around. "Ain't more than a few famous old bloodlines in any shinobi village, and the Hyugas are one of the Leaf's oldest noble houses. Most any house that's got a Bloodline Ability has rules to protect it, and they always favor one group."

          "Correct." Lee went back into teacher mode as the four Genin continued their talk. "When one group is favored, naturally the other part of the family thinks it's being slighted, put down. The same holds true for the branch house Hyugas."

          Sakura pieced together her conclusion from Lee's words.

          "So you're saying rather than sticking together, those two down there hate each other?"

          "Neji, yes. Hinata I'm not so sure about; not that it would matter either way."

          Before any of them could figure out what the thick-browed Genin meant by that, Neji spoke again.

          "Listen well, because I will only say this once, Hinata. Turn around and go home and give up. You are not qualified to be a Genin, let alone a Chuunin. If I am not mistaken, the only reason you are here is because the rules only allow teams to sign up for the Exam."

          He plunged on, oblivious to her quick attempts at a denial.

          "You never fight for your own beliefs, preferring to go along with the group, craving harmony. I doubt that you have ever had a shred of self-confidence. Instead you would rather wallow in your own inferiority.

          "Such is not the way a true shinobi can think, and be able to operate regularly. Therefore, I would quit if I were you."

          "No…" Hinata managed to choke out the words, her cousin's comments already hitting home. "Taking the Exam was my idea too…to change myself."

          Hearing that, Naruto figured it was a good idea. Hinata was a novel personality compared to Sakura, but her timid voice and movements could get annoying if you spent enough time around her.

          The young Genin had it wrong. It was Kurenai, silently watching, who knew what her student really meant.

          _How far can anyone be pushed before they find something within that changes their lives? Hinata has been pushed aside by her family, her cousin, and almost everyone she knows. If she cannot change herself, she risks being left behind by the few people she's become close to…Shino, Kiba, and perhaps Naruto._

          Still her student continued to withstand the abuse…

          _How long can you stay this way, Hinata?_

          Neji scoffed as he heard his cousin's faint counter-argument.

          "Just what I expected from one of the spoiled issue of the main house. You cling to the idea that people can be changed, but you are a living reminder that nothing can be altered.

          "A loser will always be a loser."

          Sakura looked over as she heard a strange noise, and saw Naruto gripping the steel rail while staring at Neji, an angry expression on his face. Any time someone mentioned the word "loser," he always acted like that. But why would he react when _Hinata_ was the target?

          She saw that Naruto was in no mood to answer; it didn't make her curiosity go away.

          Neji continued, not seeing the increasing rage he was provoking in someone above him.

          "We have labels like 'elite' and 'loser' because of the difference between people, separating everyone into groups or classes. Just like our own relationship, in fact, keeping you in the main house while I am below in the branch house.

          "These eyes of mine have seen so much over the years, whether by themselves or through the Byakugan, and now they tell me that your protests are futile. You would rather be anywhere else in the world but facing me."

          "That's not true…" Hinata tried to assert herself again, but she felt everything slipping away from her again. Just like things always did… "I don't…"

          Even the spectators were ignoring her, talking to each other about what Neji had said. _Maybe he's right…_

* * *

          "What's he's saying about the Byakugan?" Sakura said, as she turned back to Rock Lee. "That's the Hyuga family special ability?"

          "Right. Some people say the Uchiha clan came out of the Hyugas, and that is the origin of eyes like Sasuke-kun's Sharingan. The Byakugan is another eye technique like the Sharingan, but you could say its ability of insight is even more powerful than the Sharingan. The Hyugas aren't considered the strongest family in the Leaf Village for nothing."

          Naruto snorted, still contemptuous of Neji.

          "So those funky-lookin' eyes can actually do something besides freakin' people out? Nice to know he's not gonna just try and _talk_ his opponent to death."

          He couldn't really have explained it, even if Sakura had asked. Maybe it was sympathy, or just his personality. But hearing a Leaf ninja call another Leaf ninja a loser, especially one from his own family, grated on Naruto's nerves. Why couldn't that stupid moron look past rules and titles? Hinata seemed to do it well enough.

          He liked living with his aunt Setsuna, but Uzumaki Naruto still envied people who came from intact families. The spiky-haired boy didn't know why; was it the closeness between parent and child? The willingness of siblings to fight for each other? Or was it as simple as knowing that there was somebody out there who loved you? 

          The reason didn't really matter. It burned Naruto up when he saw someone like Neji just throw away a family member. What was the point of being so wasteful? What could they hope to gain? He'd experienced loneliness before, and wished it on nobody. Why would someone choose it unless they were nuts?

          What could Hinata do against someone who might be crazy?

          Naruto did not know the answer to his question. All that he could do was try and help the girl, in the only way he knew.

* * *

          "SHUT THE (#*#%! UP!!"

          Hinata's doubts fled in terror at Naruto's shout from the balcony.

          "I've never seen anything dumber, and I flunked the Genin Exam three times! Yakking away like ya got all the time in the world. Whoever heard of someone trying to _talk _their opponent to death?"

          Neji tried to ignore it, but his eyes tightened. _What does he know, that noisy idiot?_

          Naruto didn't have to see the Hyuga boy's face to know he was listening.

          "Yeah, I'm talkin' to you, ya dumbass! If you're gonna fight, then fight! If you're gonna run, then run! Stop wastin' everybody's time with empty-ass words, and get to the damn point!

          "And you, Hinata! The hell are you so scared about? Main line, branch line, that's all I hear. In the end, what's it matter? You're as much a Hyuga as he is! You've got the same eyes as he does! All it comes down to is how you use 'em! So stop listening to him and listen to yourself! Listen to what you believe in, deep inside, and not what others say about you. If I had listened to everybody all those years, would I be here today? _BE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE, NOT EVERYONE ELSE'S HINATA!_"

          Hinata shook herself, listening as the words cascaded down upon her. He was right. Even if Naruto did not have the Byakugan, he could see that Hinata was feeling the impact of his shouts. What he could not have seen was the drastic effects it had deep within the pale-eyed girl.

          When you throw a light switch, shadows vanish, consumed into brightness. Something deep in the shadows of Hyuga Hinata's psyche awoke in that moment. It would have looked very familiar to Haruno Sakura.

          _I…_

          Still weak, like a newborn baby, it started slowly.

          _I…am…_

          Emotions flooded her soul as Hinata stared at Naruto, then Neji, and then back again. 

          _I…am…Hyuga…_

          Gratitude. Envy. Pride. Hate. Tenacity. Frustration.

          _I…am…Hyuga…too…_

          And underneath it all, rage. Rage like a looming volcano, lethal intent boiling just beneath the earth.

          _I AM HYUGA TOO!_

          She too was a Hyuga! Wielder of the powerful Byakugan! Born of the main house, once heir to the strongest clan in the Leaf Village! But she no longer thought of the clan that way. 

          Her cousin hated her, seeing the main house. Her father had thrown her aside, seeing a weakling. But Naruto and Kurenai-sensei had not. They had seen something Hinata had not. The Hinata that could be, someday. The Hinata that _should_ be. The Hinata that would start her life today.

          Yes, she was a Hyuga, but she would make her own legacy. She would be her own Hyuga, free of main and branch houses. She would, to put it Naruto's way, just be herself. And try though he might, her cousin would not get in her new path without suffering the consequences.

          Her hands moved in a flash, as if something else was controlling her. Rock Lee saw the seals, and knew what they meant.

          "Looks like she's not going down without a fight, Neji-san."

          Neji watched his cousin prepare for the Byakugan, half disdaining, half curious. What could she possibly do, even if she were self-confident?

          Hinata opened her eyes, the veins around them pulsing as only the Byakugan could make them. Taking a familiar defensive stance, she gazed at her cousin, eyes probing into him.

          "Come on, Neji. We've wasted enough time. I won't run, and neither will you. So let's fight."

          To everyone else, it sounded like nothing more than a dull statement. To Neji, Shino, Naruto and Kurenai, it sounded much different. Hinata's voice was supposed to be small, a feathery whisper that barely touched the ear. This Hinata's voice carried a dark, hard edge. An edge that promised pain and suffering, not shy weakness. It surprised Neji so much that he just managed to avoid the fist that came rushing at him, Hinata beginning the fight without warning.

          Neji was further surprised when Hinata did not turn around and attack again, running behind him and facing him as he settled into a defensive stance.

          "All that talk, and you run from my attack? Maybe Naruto-kun was right. Maybe you were the one who really felt like running." Hinata's soft voice carried a hint of contempt, making her cousin flush in anger. As he clenched his fists, she removed her forehead protector from around her neck, tying it around her forehead for once. "Come on! Don't you want to prove I'm a loser?"

          He needed no more prodding, surging forward to destroy his lifelong enemy.

          After all the talking, the two Hyugas stayed silent once the battle was joined. Fists flew and chakra exploded in the air with a funny crackling noise, as auras clashed. But even with all the murderous intent, their movements resembled nothing so much as a graceful dance, leaving the audience confused. How could movements that barely touched the opponent be doing any damage?

          "Too evenly matched," Naruto groused. "Nobody can get close enough to land a good knockout! How long will this take?"

          Gai chuckled at the impetuous boy's complaining.

          "It's not that simple, Naruto-kun. For the Hyugas, even a glancing blow can be a deadly strike."

          "Unless they know how to stretch themselves like that Orochimaru freak, I don't see how."

          Lee spoke in his best "professor's" voice again, taking over the explanation.

          "It's got nothing to do with stretching. The Hyuga clan uses a special form of taijutsu, completely different from the kind that Gai-sensei and I use.

          "In my fighting style, I try to cause damage from the outside in. The Hyugas, on the other hand, can do it the other way, from the inside out, by pushing their chakra into the enemy's Inner Coil Pathways, and attacking internal organs directly."

          Always insightful, Shikamaru caught on first. 

          "So as long as you can make some kind of contact…"

          "Correct." Lee nodded. "You can cause damage. It may look weak, but the effect on the opponent is just as strong. In a way, it's stronger than what I could do with the same attacks."

          Naruto didn't catch on quite as fast.

          "So what's the Inner Coil thingy anyway? How come it's so special that they can go straight for it?"

          "I'll put it to you this way. Your blood runs through your body in veins and arteries, right? Chakra is a lot like that; there are pathways that let it flow all over your body."

          "So it's a road for Chakra, huh?"

          "Very good, Naruto-kun. One thing to remember, though, is that the roads lead to and around all the major organs in your body. Injure the road, and the organs suffer too."

          "Hmm…" Shikamaru leaned closer to the rail, as the other three Genin looked on. "Road's a good analogy, but if I were Hinata, I'd think of it more as a human chessboard." 

          "How's that?"

          "In chess, there are pieces on the board worth more than others, because they can do more things, or move farther. Naturally, a player wants to protect those pieces; sometimes they'll sacrifice weaker pieces to do it. Or they may sacrifice a weaker piece so they can get in position to attack a stronger piece.

          "Neji's got a height and reach advantage on Hinata, which makes it harder for her to get inside him and attack the major organs, like the heart or lungs. So one way she could get inside is let an arm or leg absorb an attack, and then plow inside Neji's defenses and attack with what she's got left. Or, she could fake like she was going after something important, and make Neji sacrifice an arm or leg to defend himself."

          Sakura beckoned them over from their discussion with a harsh whisper.

          "Pay attention, guys! She's about to do something!"

          Somewhere along the way, Hinata's jacket had become undone, flapping about as the two combatants lashed out. Neji dismissed it and kept on attacking. But as he did, Hinata suddenly swerved, taking herself out of the familiar forms of the Hyuga taijutsu, coming straight at him.

          He scoffed at her intent expression. _Using a head-on attack, like that noisy fool? I'm not as dumb as Kiba._

          Judging where she would try to strike him, Neji surged forward…and found nothing, as Hinata moved away from him. What was she doing? It didn't matter. There was still a way to attack! Grabbing at the back of his cousin's jacket with his right hand, Neji yanked it towards him. _You can't escape that easily!_

          Immediately, he knew something was wrong. The jacket was coming off too easily, with no weight shift to make him balance himself, like what should have happened if he'd yanked Hinata off her feet. Looking up, his eyes widened as he saw himself grasping the back and one empty arm of the jacket! _She slipped out of it!?_

          Momentarily shocked, Neji's confusion grew as Hinata planted her feet and somersaulted backwards, over his head, wrapping her end of the jacket around his arm and pulling it with her as she flew through the air. The branch house Hyuga could only watch, off balance and stunned, as his cousin landed and kicked a foot out backwards, aimed straight at his shoulder. Neji's image of his loser cousin disappeared with a short, sharp cracking noise.

          For a moment after Hinata's attack, you could have heard a pin drop in the arena. Sakura broke the silence, confusion evident in her voice.

          "What just happened?"

          Naruto's reply carried equal parts of pride and grim satisfaction.

          "She changed."

          Rock Lee had watched the short exchange with intensity; something Sakura and the other Genin expected out of him. Only Gai knew the real reason why his pupil was paying such attention.

          _Watch, learn, and absorb, Lee. Neji is your greatest rival; and if you are ever to surpass him, you must learn how to do so from people like Hinata._

          Shikamaru smiled, appreciating the audacity of the move, just like a chess master.

          "Nice move, Hinata. Lull him into thinking you're only going for slight contact, trap him with the jacket, and force him off balance."

          "Hey, Shikamaru, you're the chess player…" Naruto smirked. "Who did the sacrificing and who did the attacking?"

          "Man, you're tiring me out with your stupidity. I'm only gonna explain once, so listen up.

          "Hinata started off fighting just like Neji, so she could trick him into thinking he knew what she'd do next. So when she went straight at him, he figured he could counter her attack 'cause he knew where she'd be. Instead, Hinata hunched her shoulders a bit, to let the jacket get loose, and moved aside instead of attacking. All Neji grabbed was the jacket, and he overbalanced himself 'cause he figured he'd have to compensate for Hinata's weight. When he did that, Hinata jumped behind him and twisted Neji's arm backwards. Then she kicked him at the shoulder joint, and because of the leverage she had on his arm, she probably broke or dislocated the joint. Either way, she's weakened one of his arms."

          His arm hung loose, pain a blazing fire in his shoulder, but Hyuga Neji would not cry or scream. Especially not when his hated cousin had done this to him. Neji contented himself with glaring at her, his anger obvious.

          "That was not the Hyuga-ryu style. Those are not the techniques that we were taught from birth. What are you trying to do?"

          Again, Hinata's reply was laced with contempt.

          "What do you think I'm doing? If the Hyuga clan no longer wants me as heir, why should I keep on using their tactics? Why does my father deserve my respect after tossing me aside for a child half my age? Grow a brain and stop thinking so narrowly.

          "Don't lump me in with the high-and-mighty Hyuga clan. Don't flatter yourself by thinking we carry the same blood, either. I'm not going to be a part of the main house or the branch house any longer. Their so-called Hyuga-ryu is not my school. I will fight for myself, and fight the way I want to. That's all there is to it."

          He didn't respond. Hinata wouldn't have listened anyway. Neji focused all of his willpower into ignoring the pain, taking hold of his limp arm and trying to push it back into place. Hearing the slight pop and feeling the grinding of bone, he knew he'd been lucky. The joint would hurt, and he'd need a long rest after this was done, but he still had use of the arm.

          Shikamaru winced as Neji confirmed that his shoulder wasn't broken.

          "Hinata better have more than just one new move, or else she's toast."

          "Why?" Naruto wondered. "She's got him on the ropes."

          "Don't be so sure. The only reason she landed that shot on Neji in the first place was because she caught him off guard. Now he knows what's coming."

          _Do you think this little display really changes anything between us? What is the point of choosing such desperate tactics, Hinata? Are you that unwilling to see reality for what it is?_

          Neji could afford to feel superior again. Watching his cousin's new attacking style and knowing what was coming, he could easily pick out the basic, first-year taijutsu they had all been taught at the Academy. Every combination, the turn of a wrist, the kicks fired in all directions, might as well have been copied straight out of a textbook.

          Call him what you wanted, but you couldn't call Hyuga Neji a bad student.

          Again the dance of death began, this time faster and wilder, a reckless abandon coloring everything Hinata did. To some in the audience, it seemed as if she wanted to make up for twelve years of doing nothing by trying to kill, knock out, and maim Neji all at once. It would have been deadly, if any of her attacks had actually landed on target.

          Kurenai sighed. _She started well, but she's gone from timid to berserk. Neither approach will work against Neji; I'm not sure she could do any damage even if she combined the two. Change isn't only about doing the opposite thing, child. Sometimes, that only makes things worse._

          Neji certainly wanted to make things worse, and thinking back to the old Academy lessons, he knew when to make it happen. Certain attacks in basic taijutsu left the user open if they weren't careful, making them vulnerable to a devastating counterstrike. And Hyuga Neji was capable of unleashing just such an attack. _Even if you try to change, you're still a loser! Now I'll prove it!_

          Slipping underneath Hinata's guard as she lunged forwards, Neji brought his left palm up in a short, vicious strike directed at his cousin's heart. As he did, his chakra flared so high that it seemed to burst from her back, a sword of pure spirit piercing her body.

          Hinata collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, sprawling on the ground in a boneless heap.

          Neji didn't say anything. Then again, his actions had already spoken loudly and clearly enough for him. _You are nothing to me. No amount of foolish words and outlandish fighting will ever change that._

* * *

          Hyuga Hinata looked up as the skies parted, the gray clouds splitting and depositing a body that landed beside her. When Naruto had finished yelling at her and Neji, she had abruptly found herself here, trapped on a barren plain that stretched out to forever, sensing what was going on, powerless to act. It was a bleak, drab place to be…a lot like she was.

          "I didn't…wake up…so you could dig yourself…deeper into your rut."

          The pale-eyed girl started as the body that had fallen to earth began to struggle slowly to its feet.

          "Who are you?"

          "What does it look like to you? Grab a clue, sister!"

          Hinata could only stammer wordlessly as the other person straightened, and she matched a voice to a face. Her own.

          _Was _it her? This Hinata was not the one she saw when she looked into the mirror. The other girl's eyes were not the blank white pools that had once stared back at her. These orbs held an odd, unbalanced gleam. And her hair…could it even be called hair? So wild and unrestrained, it might as well have been a bird's nest! She could never have let herself look like _that_.

          "And that's the problem, isn't it?"

          "W-what?"

          "Don't play the timid, stammering girl with me. We don't have time for that."

          "I don't understand…"

          The other Hinata threw up her hands and shook her head in disgust.

          "Great. Now she's a coward _and_ a moron. Let me make this easy for you.

          "I'm you, Hyuga Hinata. But I'm not you. I am what you have always denied to yourself. Everything you never wanted to, or never thought you could be. Hate, anger, envy, even pride."

          Hinata stepped back, frantically denying the girl's heated accusation.

          "But I never did anything like that!"

          The other Hinata scoffed, bitter anger evident in her hunched shoulders.

          "Make as many excuses as you want. You pushed all of those things aside, and you made me - the image of all your so-called imperfections. If that wasn't bad enough, you imprisoned me here, letting me watch every humiliation, failure and defeat. Well, I'm tired now, and I'm not doing it any more."

          "Doing what?"

          "Sitting here watching you act like some stupid, timid little mouse, and getting nowhere! I've had it with not being able to do anything while you screw our life up. I'm here to turn things around, whether you like it or not!"

          Hinata had always had a hard time getting angry, whether at herself or anyone else. Was it because of this mirror-Hinata that she felt her temper start to boil?

          "What gives you the right? You're not me! You can't just come out and take away my life like that!"

          "Don't get moral with me! What gave _you _the right to do this? Can you justify creating me so you could feel better about yourself? Oh, sure, you're the good little girl who never started fights, never talked back, never stood up for herself!

          "Do you have any idea what it was like to be me? I _loathed_ myself from morning to night, because you made me that way. Every time you were teased or taunted, the weight fell on me. I wanted to die, or become a better person and leave the pain behind! But how could I ever do anything like that? Every time I tried to rise, you pushed me back down again with your cowardice."

          "I'm sorry." Hinata looked down, unable to bear the hatred in her other self's eyes. "I never wanted to make anyone feel sad…"

          "_SAD!?_" The other girl screamed. "Is that all you think it was? _Just sad?_ Sad is a rainy day! Sad is watching someone else get the last piece of candy at the store! I _hated_ myself! You made me think I was everything that was holding you back, the reason the world looked at you with so much pity! And you have the gall to just write it off as _sad?_ It was torture! You think an apology will make up for years of that?"

          "But…but…" Hinata could feel it, the same despair that she had felt against Neji sliding over her again. But here, inside her, it had a much different effect. She watched in horror as her mirror image shuddered, then collapsed, shaking violently. Reaching out to help the girl, she was forced back as the other Hinata slapped her hand away, even as she writhed in agony.

          "Haven't you…done enough? Just leave me…to my job…like you always do. I'm used to it…"

          Hinata could have run away. She'd done it often enough. But that was outside, in a world where nobody cared what she did. Where there were no consequences for pushing her problems away. But this wasn't such a place. Here, the consequences were staring her in the face. And Hyuga Hinata didn't like what she saw.

          Forget Neji. Forget her father, her sister, even Naruto (as hard as that was). This girl was a part of _herself_. How could she have sunk so low? Hurting herself just so she could run away from her problems? It had to stop. But how would she do it? The only idea that she could think of was not only crazy, it was downright stupid, if you stopped to think about it. But how stupid could wanting to help someone else be, if you really meant it? Naruto had done it for her. Now Hinata had to prove she was worthy of that kind of respect.

          Kneeling again at the girl's side, she shook her head.

          "I'm sorry…but I can't do that."

          "What are you saying?"

          There was no time to hesitate. For once in her life, Hinata boldly continued with what she wanted to do.

          "We're both wrong, you _and_ me. We're two extremes, at opposite ends of the spectrum. No matter who wins the battle for control of this body, in the end they'd lose the real fight outside. The only way we'll ever be able to grow strong for real…is if we join forces."

          The other girl scoffed, tears of pain and suffering still drying on her cheeks.

          "You'd never have the guts to do it. Aren't you scared of what might happen? Afraid of losing yourself?" 

          "Truthfully?" Hinata looked down. "I'm terrified. But I'm more terrified of what would happen to both of us if I kept on running away from everything."

          "Why should I trust you?" The mirror-Hinata looked away. "How do I know you won't try to seal me away again?"

          "You don't. But then, how do I know that _you _won't try to seal _me_ away like you just did if you get the chance? The point is that we have to trust each other, and believe that we're stronger together, as a team, than we are apart.

          "I hate to say it, but fighting Neji taught me something. Nobody's perfect. Not Naruto, Kurenai-sensei, Kiba, Shino; nobody is ever going to be completely free of faults or problems. Trying to live my life by avoiding mistakes and conflict won't make me perfect. So I might as well embrace all of the things that make me who I am, and walk out there as the real Hyuga Hinata. But I can't do that if you're not with me."

          "That simple, huh?" Mirror-Hinata snorted, turning back around. "You really think we're ever gonna mesh well enough to fight together?"

          Hinata shrugged, holding out a hand to her "other half."

          "We were together once, even if it was when we were very young. I don't see why it can't be that way again someday. Besides, I thought _I_ was supposed to be the scaredy-cat in this mind. Are you in or out?"

          "Gee, either join you in this crazy-ass idea, or stay here for the rest of my life," the other girl groused. "I still say you're nuts, but who am I to talk? You're on."

          As their hands touched, the gray skies disappeared, and Hyuga Hinata was reborn.

* * *

          Neji's eyes narrowed, betraying his annoyance, as he watched his cousin stagger to her feet, blood leaking from a corner of her mouth. _What's the use of getting up again? Haven't you had enough?_

          Hinata felt weird, as though she was seeing everything around her for the first time. But there was one thing she was no longer confused about, and he was glaring at her. _You poor bastard. Rail, rave and rant all you want about not being able to change, and all you really want in the back of your mind IS to change._

          She wondered for a moment. The voice of her thoughts was mirror-Hinata's, not the voice she usually thought in. _Are we always going to be like this? Two halves sharing a soul?_

          _Nah. Once we really learn to accept each other, we'll probably become your so-called "real Hyuga Hinata" again. Can't say I'm ever gonna get used to you acting girly-girly all the time, but what the heck. That reminds me…_

_          What is it?_

_          I think I have a way of ending this fight in our own style, without getting our butts kicked._

_          I don't see how…we're fighting together, but I don't think even you're crazy enough to believe we can win._

_          No, I'm not that dumb. But you hit it on the head when you said Neji wanted nothing more than to kill us. He wanted to end the fight on his own terms. So what would piss him off more than this…?_

          As her other self explained the plan, Hinata's eyes widened, and then her mouth opened in something totally unfamiliar (and a little scary) to Neji, Naruto and even Kurenai…a full, wide grin.

          _That has got to be the cruelest, most sadistic idea I've ever heard. I think I like it. _

_          Hey, all I had to do for a decade or so was sit back and think violent, nasty, nasty thoughts. I'm good at it._

          "Um, Hayate-san? Referee-type person?" 

          Hayate looked over to see Hinata raise her hand slowly.

          "Yes?"

          "I quit."

          The room shook a bit with the impact of five simultaneous face-faults up in the balcony; Naruto, Lee and company stared down in surprise at the chipper note in Hinata's voice.

          Hayate was also a little confused; the girl _was_ still conscious, after all.

          "Any particular reason why you're forfeiting?"

          "Oh, that," Hinata shrugged, turning towards the stairs. "Why should I let that jackass end the fight _his _way? If I'm going to lose, I'm doing it my way. Besides, if I'm gonna get knocked out for real, it should be by an opponent I respect."

          Neji's face went bright red with fury as his cousin let loose with a mocking laugh.

          "And Hell's gonna freeze over before I _ever_ feel that way about _you _again."

          Forget rules. Forget the Exam. Hinata could not be allowed to disrespect him, Hyuga Neji, any more. Charging forward, heedless of Hayate's shouts for him to stop, Neji prepared to strike, the veins around his eyes standing out with his rage.

          Just as he was about to reach his target, a loud _clang_ sounded in front of him, forcing him to leap back to safety. Looking up, he saw a large orange lump on the ground; a discarded jacket. And behind the clothing stood its owner.

          "And here I thought _Kiba_ was the King of the Jackasses. You want a fight, you punk? Hinata's already done. You want to mess with her, you gotta go through me first."

          "You?" Neji sneered. "What have I got to fear from a loud-mouthed idiot who cheers on losers like an empty-headed spectator?"

          Naruto simply shrugged.

          "If we meet in the Finals, you can see for yourself."

          Expecting the hotheaded blonde Genin to charge, Neji was stunned to see Naruto pick up his weighted jacket, turn on one heel and start back up the stairs.

          "What happened to fighting me, you loser? Who's talking who to death now?"

          Naruto didn't even bother looking back, continuing up the stairs.

          "Why should I waste my time and chakra on an arrogant jerk who doesn't even know the value of family? You don't deserve to fight me. You don't deserve to fight anybody in this village. Come back when you're ready to live life like a normal human being, not a cruel, self-absorbed jackass. Wait a minute; never mind. I forgot you're incapable of change. Just wait until the Finals, then. Right now I'm not in the mood to ruin my day by staring at that arrogant mug of yours any longer."

          Quivering in fury, Neji could only watch and swear silent revenge as Naruto left him behind, standing on the floor. This was not over. Not by a long shot.

          "Naruto-kun," Hinata looked over at her defender as he came up the stairs. "Why did you just do that?"

          The blonde shrugged.

          "Because you reminded me of myself."

          "I don't understand…"

          "It's simple, really," he grinned. "When I was trying to prove myself and make it through the Academy, I would have given anything to have someone encourage me. If Iruka-sensei hadn't been there to push me that last year or so, I'd probably still be at the Academy.

          "So when I heard that jerk mouthing off about people not being able to change, I figured I better do for you what Iruka-sensei did for me. Nothing I hate more than people getting called losers and getting no help to change."

          Having said his piece, the spiky-haired Genin continued on, slinging his jacket over one shoulder. Reaching his team's spot, he noticed the small bundle of fur curled near the rail. Itachi, feeling footsteps approach, woke up slowly and scampered up to Naruto's feet.

          [I needed some sleep, Speaker. What'd I miss?]

          Naruto face-faulted for the second time in five minutes.

          "Aw, why do I even bother acting cool if you're not watching? How else are the other tribal leaders supposed to know I'm worthy?"

          [Get a rooster, then. Us ferrets are nocturnal anyway.]

          Hyuga Hinata smiled to herself as she watched Naruto's one-sided (to her) argument with the ferret. _Thank you, Naruto-kun. You may be weird, but it's a good kind of weird._

          Then, turning back in Kurenai and Shino's direction, she continued on the path into her new life.

          Behind her, the scoreboard began its deadly shuffling again, until two names were revealed. 

          _Haruno Sakura vs. Yamanaka Ino_.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

For a long break in between updates, you guys get a long chapter. Hinata has indeed begun to change herself, and Neji may be wondering, in the back of his mind, whether or not he'll ever be able to do the same for himself. We'll see… *evil laughter*

Don't take this as the first step towards a Hinata x Naruto pairing, though. Both of them are going to be way too busy in the coming chapters to even think about something like that. Besides, a few more girls will also get a chance to impress Naruto in the coming chapters. Keep the reviews and suggestions coming!

Next: Sakura has watched others find strength from within and without, as the Preliminary matches roll on. But now, it's her turn to do the fighting. Against her greatest rival, can she find the confidence she needs to become strong? Read on, and find out…


	12. Dreams and Nightmares

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 12 – Dreams and Nightmares**

Summary: Pushed to the breaking point, Hinata discovered that she had sealed off half her personality, which was why she had always been so weak. Uniting her soul, Hinata walked away stronger – even if she had to lose her fight with Neji to do it. Now Sakura and Ino will face each other, to see who has grown, if at all.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will learn as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

          For all the talking that was going on among the Leaf shinobi, neither Sakura nor Ino spoke a word as they walked down to the arena level. The glares shooting back and forth between them said more than enough.

          Sakura figured Ino was there to show off for Sasuke; to her, that was what their rivalry had always been about. She would have been surprised how differently Ino saw the whole thing. Oh, in the back of her mind, some part of her still figured that Sasuke wasn't attached yet. But Sasuke wasn't so attractive or desirable anymore. Not after his sadistic little display in the Forest of Death. The look in his eyes when he'd broken the Sound-nin's arms had been almost…joyous. If Sakura still wanted to date someone that messed up, well, she could have him.

          She wanted to take the pink-haired girl down for another reason. It was long past time to show Sakura that she wasn't so tough or talented as she always seemed to think. Maybe it was conceited or selfish of her to think so. Ino didn't much care. A girl could only take so many dents to her ego before things had to be stopped.

          If it had to come to this, Ino figured better now than later, when Sakura might actually get better. Heaven forbid the girl would actually try to improve herself (but miracles weren't out of the question). She was tired of seeing Sakura getting all the goods while doing nothing to deserve them.

          The Forest of Death had done more than show Ino how weak she was, in comparison to her Genin class. It had shown her the profound unfairness of life in Konoha. While she had been saddled with lazy Shikamaru and always-eating Choji, Sakura had lucked into teaming with #1 rookie Sasuke and annoying, but tough Naruto.

          Ino's team had had to sneak their way through the Chuunin Exam, almost being taken out single-handedly by Neji before he dismissed them as too weak to fight. Sakura's team had been trashed by Orochimaru, hit just as hard by his three Sound henchmen, and _still_ gotten to the next Stage. 

          Who had she made an enemy of? What did she have to do? Okay, she wasn't so hot or talented either, but at least Ino had _tried_. She had begged, pleaded and (of course) yelled until her throat was raw, to make herself and her team stronger. It hadn't done much good. In the end, she'd done her training alone, pushing herself to limits she'd never even known she had. It was time to show Sakura, and everybody, how strong Yamanaka Ino really was. _You think you deserve what you've got? Prove it to me!_

          Sakura stared at Ino's blank expression as they faced each other, and wondered what she should do. Let her rival make the first move? Take the initiative instead? Or…there was one other plan.

          "Hey, Ino! Let's get one thing clear right now. Don't think we're going to be fighting over Sasuke-kun. This match is totally serious. I'm not going to go easy on you!" 

          Taunting Ino seemed to be a good idea, given what she knew about the blonde's temper. And as Sakura saw the rage explode in Ino's eyes, she figured it was the first step on her path to victory; surely her rival would be overeager, just like Kiba after all of Naruto's chatter.

          She couldn't have been more wrong.

          Oh, Ino _was_ angry. There was no doubting that. Not when her opponent had just said something so profoundly arrogant. _Sakura_ would not hold back? _Sakura_ would be getting serious? Ino began to tremble slightly, equal portions of shame and fury starting to smolder. Shame at the weakness that had made everyone think she was pathetic. But just as strong, and steadily growing, was fury that the other girl would presume she was any better.

          _All of your luck's gone to your head, girl. You're soft, arrogant, and stupider than I thought. Guess I should beat some sense into you!_

          Ino didn't bother to respond. Sakura could see how angry she'd gotten over it anyway. Instead, she slowly removed her forehead protector from its spot around her waist, raising it to her forehead with a reverence that surprised even Shikamaru and Choji, watching from the balcony. They'd always known Ino was driven to succeed (even if it was only to get Sasuke's attention). But even then, she'd hardly been serious about ninja business, or village tradition.

          Sarutobi Asuma smiled as he observed his pupil's actions. Shikamaru had the brains in Team 8; he outstripped his teammates by far, without a doubt. But even with her childish temper and personality, Ino had something neither of the boys could claim – a savage desire to succeed. Call it hotheaded, a one-track mind, but it was true. If the Chuunin Exam had come down to who wanted it most, the girl would have been a top contender. The words that emerged from her mouth as she tied the forehead protector to her head proved it.

          "Talk, talk, talk. That's all you're good for. Ever since we were kids you never did anything but talk a good game. You wanted to be strong, admired, popular. How long has it been, Sakura? A year? Five? Ten? Where are you now? What have you made of yourself?

          "Where were you in the Forest, when your teammates were fighting their asses off? Sitting there, crying your eyes out. Even when you tried to stand up for yourself, all you got was a beating."

          Ino would have smiled as she saw Sakura redden, humiliation provoking her rival's own temper, but she wasn't done yet.

          "Sasuke went berserk when he saw what they did to you. Naruto nearly got himself killed keeping you safe. If you're so good at talking, Sakura, why don't you tell me how you deserve teammates like that?"

          Shifting her weight onto her back leg, Ino settled into a ready stance.

          "Oh, hell, forget talking. I'm tired of your empty threats. Show me, Sakura. Show me what you've made of yourself." 

          Still trying to throw her opponent off balance, Sakura smirked.

          "Careful what you ask for. You might just get it."

          There was no use wasting more time. The girls charged at each other, their battle joined.

          Elsewhere, a confrontation with far greater significance had also begun.

* * *

          "Well, fancy that. You can even copy sealing techniques now." 

          Hatake Kakashi looked up slowly, tired from affixing a seal to the curse that afflicted Sasuke. Even now the boy slept, body and soul taxed by the ordeal.

          "I suppose I should congratulate you, Kakashi. That technique isn't something you could have seen performed. You must actually have had to work at it. You've grown."

          He knew the voice before he saw the face. In every word there lurked a certain menace, a sibilant hiss only faintly concealed by human language. This was no shinobi. This was an avatar of Death, hidden in the form of a man.

          "Orochimaru…? What's your game?"

          The master of the Hidden Sound village had chosen to disguise himself as a nondescript Jounin for this encounter. Emerging from the shadows, the faint light of the basement chamber reflected the forehead protector he wore.

          "Fortunately, Kakashi, my plans have nothing to do with you. My only concern is with that boy."

          What could he want with a child, even an Uchiha? Sasuke was improving, but nowhere near mastering his latent skills.

          "What do you need Sasuke for?"

          Orochimaru shook his head, a slight 'tsk' coming from him, as though he were a father scolding his child.

          "Do I really need to spell it out? You have it, though it's imperfect. In fact, I should have congratulated you. You're moving up in the world with your new possession."

          _The Sharingan!_

          As though recognizing the flash of insight in Kakashi's visible eye, Orochimaru smiled thinly.

          "Yes, the Uchiha ability. I crave it, and I shall have it."

          Kakashi shifted subtly, keeping an eye on Sasuke while slowly gathering his chakra. 

          "Don't know why you need it, but you won't be getting it here."

          "I created the Sound Village, and its people heed my orders. Do you understand now?"

          Kakashi scoffed, his eye narrowing into a hard stare.

          "You're playing a fool's game, questing for an impossible dream. That ambition of yours has grown, Orochimaru."

          The Sound shinobi laughed, eerie noises echoing through the room.

          "History is written by the victor, Kakashi. When I triumph, I think you will be the fool and I will be the genius."

          Kakashi said nothing, still gathering his chakra. Against a madman, words were useless. Actions would have to do.

* * *

          Action was precisely what Ino had dreaded. Or too much action, to be exact. The gap between stages had been too short for her to work on actual combat, and it meant she and Sakura were equal in ability. 

          Ten minutes had passed with nobody gaining the upper hand, but plenty of damage being done on both sides.

          Sakura knew the score, and guessed Ino was feeling frustrated. For all her talk about weakness, the other girl wasn't good enough to win either. Feeling confidence run through her, Sakura began to smile. _Setsuna was right. As long as you've got the will, you can win._

          For someone as smart as Haruno Sakura was supposed to be, making two grave errors in the same battle would have been extraordinary. Today, apparently, was no ordinary day. 

          "I thought you were better than me, Ino. Why am I still standing? Guess you used all your time on looking pretty, and none to train!"

          Maybe it was leftover friendly feelings that had made her hold back so long. Ino didn't care. She was through being nice to the arrogant little twit.

          "Should have expected this from you. Can't win a fight, so you stoop to this? Well, I'm through holding back! If you want to disrespect me, you're going to have to earn the right!"

          The crowd watched as Ino drew out a kunai, raising it to her hair.

          Asuma frowned, wondering what was going on. _She's losing control. Ino can't afford to get unbalanced; Sakura will only take advantage of that to win!_

          Before he or any of Ino's teammates could do anything to stem the tide, it was too late.

          With a short, brutal swipe, Yamanaka Ino hacked off the long ponytail that had been her pride and joy.

          In that instant, every eye in the room turned back to the action. Some had never been interested, seeing the girls' low talent levels. Others had grown bored at the slow pace of the fight. Ino's meltdown was an entirely different story. Her scream shook the room.

          "YOU STUPID BITCH!"

          Even Sakura was taken aback at the murderous rage in Ino's voice. The blonde stood there, looking back and forth from the hair in her hand to the pink-haired girl across the room.

          "I've had it with your arrogance, your luck, and your stupidity! But most of all, _I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU!_"

           Sakura smiled thinly as Ino hurled her shorn hair on the floor. _It's working! Ino knows I'm stronger, that I've got the stronger will! All she can do now is stuff like this. I've got this in the bag._

          Ino slammed the kunai back into its pouch, lifting both hands in front of her. She hadn't improved her combat skills for this fight, but what she'd learned would be plenty more than enough to win – especially against Sakura.

          "Now nobody's pretty. You can smile now, Sakura, but you won't be smiling after I make you give up!"

          Sakura shrugged, recognizing the seal that was beginning to form in Ino's hands. It didn't scare her in the least.

          "Go ahead and try it, if you think you're any good!"

          "What was that line you tossed out in the beginning? Careful what you ask for, because you're about to get it."

* * *

          Orochimaru looked on as Kakashi settled into a ready position. Even as he watched the Copy Ninja prepare to do something, the expression on the older ninja's face never lost its smug superiority.

          "How amusing. Are you going to show me something else you've picked up over the years?"

          Something like respect crept into Orochimaru's eyes as the air about Kakashi's right hand began to crackle, a steady glow building as chakra gathered. The Leaf Jounin's visible eye burned with a slow fire.

          "You may be a legend around here, but don't think you can just waltz up and take Sasuke. I am a Jounin of the Hidden Leaf, sworn to protect the village and its people. If I have to sacrifice my life to do my duty, I will."

          Kakashi had expected plenty of potential reactions to his words, but laughter hadn't been one of them. And as much as he wanted to stay in control of the situation, he couldn't help but get angry.

          "What's so funny?"

          When the snake ninja spoke, his voice once again carried that chiding tone.

          "Poor boy. So desperate to exceed everyone else that you rely only on that borrowed eye, ignoring your instincts? Spare the effort. Nothing you say or do will keep the Uchiha boy in this village. He was as good as mine from the moment we met, even before I marked him."

          "You're wrong about Sasuke. He's not like you…"

          "Perhaps." Orochimaru dismissed the Copy Ninja's words with a wave of his hand. "But you and I both know what he truly is. His soul burns with a desire for revenge, mind focused only on finding and destroying his enemy. To achieve his goal, Sasuke-kun will seek any power, even if it is as dark as mine." 

          Kakashi could find no words to respond. Even as his heart told him the Uchiha survivor was a true Leaf shinobi, his mind knew better.

          Orochimaru had known it too, from the beginning, and his irritating smirk showed it.

          "So you see, Kakashi, I have no need to _take_ Sasuke-kun from you. I don't even have to take him from the village. He will do it all for me, seeking my power.

          "Still, it's a pity to see so much chakra go to waste. Go ahead and try to kill me. If you dare."

          The Sound shinobi's voice trailed off, as Orochimaru turned to leave. 

          Few opponents had ever turned their back on Hatake Kakashi and lived. Why would this snake in the grass be any different? He had the attack charged, ready to strike…but why wouldn't his body move?

* * *

          "You're going to use the Shintenshin on me?"

          Sakura looked at Ino, still standing there with her hands in that seal, and laughed.

          "Shintenshin no Jutsu, a special technique that projects' the user's spiritual energy outwards, and if successful, into the mind of the target. But you know, there are disadvantages too.

          "It's slow as hell, and takes a while to hit the target. If you miss, you're out cold for a few minutes, until the energy returns to your body. You'd just be an easy target to beat on. Not a very dignified way to lose, I think."

          Ino snarled and kept her hands steady, making Sakura suspicious. Why wouldn't the girl listen to reason? Was she _that_ desperate to win? Before she could ask about it, the blonde girl replied.

          "Typical Sakura. You think you're impressive, rattling off all that information? Give me a break! Don't think you'll win before I've done anything!"

          "It's your funeral, Ino. Miss and you're through."

          It looked as if words were useless. Ino was dead set on using the attack to try and pull out a win. Sakura bowed to reality and set her feet to run. 

          "Stop, you idiot!" 

          Shikamaru would have been better off keeping his mouth shut. The brief look of annoyance that flashed across Ino's face showed she'd heard him, and wasn't happy.

          Ino had to admit things would look grim to everyone but her. Shikamaru was rarely wrong about analyzing a battle, and he'd been right to keep them out of most of the fighting in the Forest of Death. This time, though, he didn't have all the information. _And that means you're wrong_.

          "Ninpou: Shintenshin no Jutsu!"

* * *

          _Move! Strike! Do something! He's on a whole other level. You can't just stand there if you want to take him down._

          Thoughts raced through Kakashi's head at a thousand miles an hour, pulse pounding, nervous sweat beading on his skin. There was still a chance to attack, to retrieve victory from the jaws of defeat. Orochimaru had given him the easiest possible approach, back turned, open to a devastating strike. He had to act!

          Kakashi might as well have tried to fly. No matter how much his heart ached to do something, nothing happened. Why had his body betrayed him?

          _Try to kill me…if you dare._

          Orochimaru's last words to him returned, unbidden, gnawing at something buried deep in the Copy Ninja's mind. 

          Death.

          Was it primal fear? Repressed memories? Long-buried friends? Whatever it was, it was working. No longer were his thoughts focused on killing Orochimaru. All Kakashi could see now was death, but the deceased bore his face. Orochimaru's voice mocked him, cutting in and out between each gory end that flashed into Kakashi's mind. _Useless. Weak. Dead. That's all you'll be if you dare to face me._

          The feeling didn't last long, but it was long enough. By the time the Leaf Jounin could stop reliving his illusionary deaths, Orochimaru was gone. And with him had gone most of the hope of keeping Sasuke away from the darkness. 

          Inwardly, he kicked himself for showing so much desperation. _What was I thinking? Sacrifice myself and take him with me?_ That was no solution. Even if he had somehow killed Orochimaru, Sasuke would simply become someone else's target, lured by the promise of strength. Led astray by the desire for vengeance. He could not let that happen. Not to someone who had seen so much violence so young, who could represent the best about the Leaf Village with the right kind of training.

          Picking up his student, Kakashi turned towards the infirmary, and the Anbu guards he'd stationed there. He might not have been able to attack Orochimaru, but the snake shinobi had made one mistake. He'd given the Copy Ninja time to think of something, some solution, no matter how crazy or stupid. Some way to fight the tides of fate. When you knew as many techniques and skills as Hatake Kakashi did, there was bound to be _something_ that could help. 

          There _had_ to be.

* * *

          "Ino!" 

          Shikamaru didn't know why he cared what happened to his teammate. Ino could be loud, annoying and pushy, even on her best days. All that nagging took away valuable time he could have used to sleep, or something less troublesome than training.

          But after the Forest of Death, and their argument the next day, she'd stopped coming around, and stopped nagging her teammates. Normally, if that happened, he would have been bracing for an even bigger shouting match later. Nothing had come. Asking around, he'd learned that Ino hadn't even been to see her many friends around the village. 

          Right about then, Shikamaru realized she might really have been serious about getting stronger. Indeed, when he went by the Yamanaka home, the girl was nowhere to be found. She really was off training! Ino, who had always been more about wanting to look good for Sasuke, or to be popular!

          Why would she suddenly want to be stronger? Neji had called them weak, but that happened all the time. Ino had never done anything this drastic after someone pointed out her weakness.

          Something from earlier in the fight nagged at him, and he played the memory back. _Where were you in the Forest, when your teammates were fighting their asses off?_

          That had to be it. She was angry with him (and Choji, but nobody ever stayed mad at Choji for long). Not angry just because he was weak; angry because he wasn't the kind of teammate that Sasuke or Naruto had shown themselves to be. Not someone who could show his concern in that particular way. Heck, not someone who even measured up to the level of Sasuke and Naruto.

          It made Shikamaru feel a little ashamed. Had he and Choji been the cause of Ino's loss? Were they the reason she was slumped on the ground, out cold from a missed Shintenshin? _I knew she was frustrated, but not desperate…_

          Before he could continue beating himself up mentally, Shikamaru heard Sakura speak.

          "Too bad, Ino. Don't say I didn't warn you…"

          Shikamaru forced his eyes open, making certain he would remember this moment, and thinking of how he'd have to apologize to Ino. As it turned out, he would have to apologize to Ino for a completely different reason. Underestimating her.

          Sakura tried to advance on her fallen opponent – and went absolutely nowhere.

          "What the- ?" 

          Shikamaru's jaw dropped as Ino replied. _She didn't use the Shintenshin!_

          "Warn me, Sakura? Whatever for?" 

          Sakura looked down at her feet, to where a trail of chakra and – was it _hair_? – encircled her legs, keeping her pinned in place. 

          "You were the one who needed the warning, Sakura. Now I've got you right where I want you, all because of some extra hair and my chakra. Can't move, can you?"

          "Go ahead, then! That's all you've got besides the basics, one lousy attack your father gave you!" 

          Sakura hadn't expected Ino to snap, but she hadn't anticipated that the other girl would laugh, either.

          "What's with you, Ino?"

          Ino might have been laughing, but the look in her eyes was dead serious.

          "It's funny - I've never seen my father do _this_."

          Shikamaru watched passively as Ino performed what looked like her usual hand seals – until her hands came together in one that only _he_ had ever used before, and then went back to "normal." _The seal for the Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Copy no Jutsu)? It's a Nara family bloodline jutsu! And anyway, she can't do the Shintenshin with the wrong sequence, so why even bother …_

          Before he could finish the thought, Ino showed him – and everyone else.

          "Ninpou: Yume Oriko no Jutsu (Dream Weaver no Jutsu)!" 

          Expecting to see nothing happen with the wrong seals, Shikamaru's eyes shot open as a tendril of _something_ launched out of the circular seal Ino's hands had formed, heading straight for Sakura's head. When it struck home, the pink-haired girl's eyes glazed over, as though she were in a trance. And where he had expected Ino to slump over, as she always did when transferring into someone's mind, his teammate was still standing. Not only standing…but talking?

          "Time for a reality check, Sakura! You're about to see just how pathetic a shinobi you really are!"

* * *

          Sakura awoke in a long hall, with doors everywhere she looked, and nothing else. It stretched on as far as she could see; dimly lit, eerily silent.

          _What is this place? Is this where people go when Ino switches into their minds?_

          "No, not really. You're the first one who's ever come to this place other than my father. He was my test subject. You get to be my first target."

          She could hear Ino's voice, but the other girl was nowhere to be found, a dreadful presence in the dark passage. 

          "You see, Sakura, I actually trained while we had time off. I was doing something, not sitting around and waiting for Sasuke or Naruto to come up with a new attack to save me in the next fight. It took me the entire break, but I did it. I came up with a technique even my father had never seen before.

          "What about you, Sakura? Why don't we have a look?"

          Sakura watched as one of the doors in the hallway swung open, showing her falling out of bed the morning after returning from the Forest of Death. A creaking noise behind her revealed another open door, this one showing her standing and watching Setsuna destroy the old restaurant building. 

          "You want to get stronger, but you can't be bothered with doing anything about it. I suppose it's just who you are – a no-talent Genin, skating along behind your teammates. You've been letting everyone do your fighting for you since we were kids!"

          More memories flooded her consciousness. Ino defending her from the other girls' teasing. Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto fighting Haku and Zabuza, while she stood by. Lee being thrashed by Dosu and Zaku. 

          "Stop this, Ino! I'm not just a loser!"

          The other girl's voice responded, Ino's disgust evident.

          "Getting to be on Sasuke's team doesn't count as a victory, Sakura. That was luck. Nothing out of the ordinary for you.

          "Even if you _had_ managed to win once in your life, it wouldn't matter. Not now."

          Ino sounded so smug that she had to have _something_ up her sleeve. Sakura threw herself down the hall, trying to escape, but every door she tried to open was locked, or led to a horrible memory. Failure. Humiliation. Ridicule. Frustration. _Why? Why are there nothing but memories of my failures here?_

          "Oh, come on, Sakura. You're the smart one. Do I really have to explain it to you?"

          Sakura slumped to the floor, trying to hide herself from the images that rushed at her, the power of Ino's new attack becoming dreadfully clear. 

          "You're controlling my memories?"

          "Oh, honestly. You make it sound so _boring_. When I extended my spiritual energy into you, it was like becoming the director of my own private little movie, with you as the star. Well, more like the damsel in distress.

          "I don't have to control your body to do any damage. All this handy new attack does is give me control over your memories. I can block whatever I want, amplify the rest. With some effort, I can even change them. Fortunately, you've got plenty of material for me to work with already."

          She _knew_ she was not a loser, but that confidence was fading fast. Every second that passed by, every failed attempt to recover happier memories only made things worse. Maybe she _was_ a failure, a drag on her teammates. 

          "Stop this, Ino…"

          "Oh, sure, Sakura," Ino's voice echoed in the hallway. "I can stop. Give up, and the memories will stop. You can go back to being the same oblivious girl you've always been. Just give up."

          It was tempting. Sakura had to give her that. Dragging herself to her feet, she stumbled down the hall, trying to empty her mind of all the images Ino had unleashed on her. As she passed one door, she heard a muffled voice from somewhere, much like the way Ino had been talking. Someone must be trying to cheer her on, although Ino had blocked most of it out. Sakura couldn't make out the words, but she would have known that tone anywhere. _Naruto_. 

          Why was it always him? Sasuke never said anything to her besides a few short phrases at a time (if she was lucky). Even Naruto had seemed to lose any interest in her after getting out of the Forest. Sakura had thought it was because she was useless, but why would Naruto still care? Why would Kakashi-sensei praise her, if there were nothing to praise her for? There had to be something Ino had overlooked in her memories that could help her remember. Out of ideas, praying for something to break through her failures, Sakura did the only thing she could – follow the sound of her teammate's voice.

* * *

          [Why'd ya bother saying anything, Naruto? I thought you said you weren't gonna waste your time with that girl anymore.]

          "Beats me. Guess I just wanted to live up to what Ino made Sasuke and me sound like. Make it look like I cared, or something."

          Naruto shrugged as Itachi restlessly paced on his shoulders. He wasn't really sure why he'd tried to snap Sakura out of her funk. He'd basically promised his father he would give up on the pink-haired girl, and the way she treated him had made the decision easier. Still, watching the fight had changed his mind.

          The belief that Sakura had good teammates only made sense if you weren't in Team 7. It did look like he, Sasuke and Sakura got along well, that they watched out for each other out of a sense of teamwork and friendship. Naruto knew better. He and Sasuke could perform well because neither wanted to lose to the other. When defending Sakura, Naruto would fight as well, because he had been infatuated with her. And Sasuke? Well, with that weird thing on his neck, who knew what he was thinking? Naruto didn't care to ask. 

          What he did care about was what Ino had said, and the way she'd looked at the time. Most people who talked about teamwork or friendship tended to look corny as all hell when they opened their mouths. Even Kakashi-sensei had had his moments (or would have, if his face hadn't been covered). Ino had been different. Not only had she been talking about teamwork, she'd actually managed to look serious while doing it. That alone told Naruto how important the blonde kunoichi thought teamwork was. It had made him think, and think hard. Anyone who knew Naruto, from Iruka on down, would have been totally shocked, but he was thinking this over. Forget Sakura, and all the problems she presented. Why did he care so much about the way Ino saw him?

          After a while, Naruto knew why. He _wasn't_ somebody who would rally to a teammate's side just because they were a group. He had fought for glory, for pride, and for a childish crush. Not for any team. Maybe he wouldn't have cared if nobody had ever told him who or what he was. Now he knew all of that, and it made him feel equally proud and confused. 

          His parents had fought for a cause. His father had become one of the greatest heroes in the history of the Leaf, for sacrificing himself to save the village. For making the hardest decision Naruto could conceive, sacrificing his own son to seal away the Ninetails. 

          What had Naruto ever done? Why was it so important to him to become Hokage? Recognition? Glory? Fame? What difference did that make in the end? What could it do to help someone else? The Hokages didn't have their faces carved on the side of a mountain just because they'd been popular or famous. They were there because they'd made the tough choices for the good of their "team." The good of the Leaf. _That_ was what it meant to carry the title of Hokage. Naruto knew he didn't even come close to matching such dedication. 

          Now, more than ever, Naruto knew he needed to pass the Chuunin Exam and advance a rank. Not simply to get closer to his dream, but to leave Sasuke and Sakura behind. Apart, they might have gotten along, but they would never truly be able to cooperate as a team. Staying together would do nothing but hold them all back from growing and improving. As much as he hated Sasuke and was tired of Sakura, Naruto knew the Leaf would be better if they got stronger too. After all, wasn't the job of a Hokage to make his village great?

          Of all people, it had been Ino who had shown him the way. The son of the Fourth Hokage looked down at her, still fighting Sakura, and made the blonde girl a silent, grateful promise. _I'm not what you think I am, Ino, but someday I will be. I'll make myself worthy of the respect you showed me. Count on it._

          Before then, though, he was still Sakura's teammate. And he had a job to do, no matter how he felt about her now. 

          "Come on, Sakura! I know you're not just gonna give in so easily! You can do it!"

* * *

          Sakura still couldn't hear Naruto's words, but they helped her anyway. One of the memory doors tugged at her as she passed, the knob drawing her in. It could have been a trap, but she was beyond caring. Throwing the door open, she watched the memory unfold.

          The Forest of Death surrounded her, as she saw herself rush at Zaku, repeatedly using Kawarimi no Jutsu. Ino laughed as they watched the events happen again.

          "So sorry, Sakura. I guess you'll just have to watch yourself screw up again."

          "Oh, really?" Sakura smiled, looking at herself fight the Sound-nin. "You don't get it, Ino. You're the one who just made the mistake."

          She couldn't really fault Ino. Only Sakura would have known that this moment had been one of the proudest of her life. She had made a decision to show that she was worth something, and had proved it by tricking Zaku. Sure, she had taken a beating, but she'd bought time for Ino and her team to get into place. _You don't have to win a big victory to make it count, Ino. Sometimes the tiniest thing can make you feel just as good about yourself._

          "Well, I hope you enjoyed whatever little moment you just had, because now I'm shutting you out!"

          Sakura grinned for the first time in what felt like hours. Ino could try to block off her memories again, but she was too late. Something inside of Sakura, shoved aside by the Ino's Dream Weaver, had finally risen to the occasion.

          "THE HELL YOU WILL!" 

          Ino watched, stunned, as every door in the hallway burst open at once, shattering into splinters. The Sakura that had stood before her disappeared and a giant version of her opponent emerged from the darkness, eyes blazing with rage. She had felt something huge fighting to get out when she'd begun the Dream Weaver, but Ino had thought it was just the way anyone's mind would react, fighting off her control. Nothing she'd ever known about Sakura would have suggested the girl had a split personality. _If anything, she's always had a one-track mind. Just what the hell are you, Sakura?_

           It wasn't something she had the time to think about. This "new" Sakura had just broken through every one of her memory blocks, and was now trying to find Ino, looking around with that same angry expression. She could have beaten the wimpy, insecure Sakura, but this one would be a pain in the butt. _Forget it. I'm getting out and taking my chances on a normal fight._

          Shikamaru was still scratching his head, trying to figure out what was going on, when he saw Ino's hands move into the release seal for her normal jutsu. As they came together, the band of energy connecting the two girls vanished. Just as he was about to ask Asuma another question, Sakura answered it for him.

          "Nice try, Ino! But if you thought I was just going to roll over and let you mess with my memories, you've got another thing coming!"

          As soon as he heard it, everything clicked into place in Shikamaru's mind. He heard Asuma chuckle behind him, and turned around to see his sensei clap a hand down on his shoulder.

          "So, what have you learned about Ino's new attack? We could all use an explanation."

          "I ain't really sure I get it," Shikamaru muttered, "but I think she took all that stuff we learned at the Academy and made it work for her.

          "When Naruto beat Kiba, the lesson he was going off of was that the hand seals are just a way to help you focus your chakra for the technique you're gonna do. Ino's normal attack takes control of everything in the target's body, so that she can control it from within. My attack lets me control and shape my shadow, so she must have thought the seal helps me with it. If you combine finer control with the Shintenshin, I guess that means you can fine-tune the attack to control specific things. Ino just happened to choose memories, I guess."

          Asuma nodded, looking down at Ino readying herself to fight again.

          "Regardless of how this fight ends up, Ino's set a good example for you and Choji. I expect you to follow it when you get down there."

          _Follow Ino's lead? For the first time in a very long while, Shikamaru actually found himself wanting to do just that. After what she'd just done, the least he could do was try and show her he'd gotten the message._

          Ino and Sakura were back to being silent again, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Ino wasn't looking forward to it, staying firmly planted in a defensive stance. _Good to get the new technique working, but I haven't practiced it enough yet. It takes too much chakra out of me to control things like this, and that rope trick didn't help._ She had enough energy left in her for one good exchange of blows, and that was about it. At this rate, there was no way she could beat Sakura. _Which means the only thing I can do is try to go for a draw. It sucked, but damned if she was going to let Sakura get away with another undeserved victory, just because of that split personality. _

          "Let's end it, Sakura! One last shot, and it's over either way!"

          "You asked for it, Ino!"

          For all the angry words and bad memories the two had traded during the fight, it would end not with a cry or a scream, but with two punches, each girl connecting with the other's jaw. When the dust settled, neither got up. Hayate watched them both for a while, and then raised his hands.

          "Neither fighter is able to continue. Therefore, the match is a draw and neither advances!"

          Naruto clapped a hand to his forehead and shook his head, half smiling. _It looks like we both have a ways to go before we reach our goals, Ino. Hope you don't quit just because you're out of the Exam._

          As for him, there was no need for him to cheer on anyone else now. The next time he and Sasuke met, they might well be opponents, competing for promotion. Naruto's only job now was to train himself, and get stronger. Whether his opponent was that jerk Neji, Sasuke or even that baggy-eyed Sand kid, the Finals would be a tough battle. Plucking Itachi off his shoulders, Naruto game the ferret a searching look.

          "I've got a lot of training coming up, Itachi, and I know you hate being bored. Wouldn't blame you if you took some time off to go and do whatever a ferret does while I'm busy."

          The ferret snorted, nose wrinkling and whiskers waving.

          [With you around, _nothing's_ ever boring, Naruto. 'Sides, we still gotta meet all the tribal leaders. Wait'll ya meet Lord Yama, the boss ferret! You'll have a great time.]

          "Why? He's strong?"

          Itachi shrugged.

          [Nah, he'll be the easiest summon ya ever got. Anybody who feeds Lord Yama a decent meal can get a favor from him. So I'm thinking if ya buy him a coupla big bowls of something, maybe ramen, he'll do whatever ya want.]

          Naruto frowned.

          "Doesn't that seem a little _too_ easy?"

          [Well, us ferrets are scavengers. We take what we can get. If somebody comes along and gives us a present, it's like we hit the jackpot!]

          "I'll take your word for it," Naruto said, leaning out over the rail and looking down, "but before I meet any more animals, I've got to learn how to summon stuff first. Ain't like there's a whole lot of summoning masters running around the village, you know." 

          [Well, who ya gonna learn from, then?]

          Naruto just grinned.

          "Oh, I've got a good idea who might know." _A certain perverted, always-late Jounin, that's who_. 

* * *

          Actually getting to talk to Kakashi was easier said than done, as Naruto discovered. The Copy Ninja had finally returned to the arena after Sakura and Ino's match, but had come back without Sasuke, and was so distracted even Itachi climbing up to his shoulder couldn't get his attention. 

          He wanted to be mature about it, but Naruto was a little ticked off by the time the preliminary matches were over. After seeing what Gaara of the Desert had managed to do to Rock Lee, despite the thick-browed Genin's best efforts, Naruto knew he had to learn how to summon things, and fast, if he was going to have any shot of surviving the tournament the Third Hokage had set up. After all, he was up against Neji first. The thought alone was enough to make him nervous, even if he was hell-bent on beating down Hinata's cousin. 

          [I don't get it, Naruto. Didn't ya just tell me you wanted out of your team? Why go right back for help?]

          "It's one thing to say it," he shrugged, "but Kakashi-sensei's never done anything to me that would make me think any less of him. It's Sasuke and Sakura I've got problems dealing with. Besides, I think it would kind of disappoint Kakashi-sensei if I just up and left, you know?"

          [Hey, it's your call. But if you're gonna consider taking a step as big as ya make it out ta be, it's usually best to just go ahead and do it, if ya think that's best. Otherwise you're never gonna get anything done.]

          The ferret had a point. If he was really sure that leaving the team was such a good idea, why hadn't he done it yet?

          Five minutes later, the spiky-haired boy received the answer to that very question.

          "What do you mean you can't train me? Is it that you can't, or that you won't?"

          Naruto had just made Leaf Village history by leaving the ever-talkative Hatake Kakashi completely speechless, but he was in no mood to enjoy the moment. The Copy Ninja was the only person in the village he knew who might have had any idea how to summon creatures to battle, except maybe the Third, and Naruto knew the Hokage was way too busy to train him. But as for Kakashi, Naruto had a pretty good idea where his sensei's time would be going, and he wasn't happy.

          Not so much because Kakashi wouldn't teach him how to summon stuff – he wasn't even sure the Copy Ninja knew how, since the Sharingan couldn't copy summoning jutsus. To put it bluntly, Naruto was getting sick and tired of being a second-class citizen compared to Sasuke. Whether it was in popularity, talent, or otherwise, he'd had just about enough of not being good enough for anyone. But before he could say anything, Kakashi spoke.

          "Now, now, Naruto. It's not like you can't train with someone else and do something different. In fact, I've already lined up a teacher for you who's much more reliable than me."

          Naruto felt his hopes rise a bit, hearing his sensei's words.

          "So who is it?"

          Kakashi pointed a finger behind Naruto, who turned – and stopped cold. _HIM?! _

          Of all the people for Kakashi to call on, the Copy Ninja had picked Ebisu, Konohamaru's so-called "elite tutor." _It'd be one thing if he'd called on someone I respect, like Iruka-sensei or even Gai. But this arrogant pervert? I beat him with nothing but a Kage Bunshin and a Sexy no Jutsu. Forget it. I could learn more from Aunt Setsuna_. 

          Itachi had been right. He should have just come here to say goodbye, not to overthink his decision. If he'd needed proof that leaving was the right thing to do, Kakashi had just given it to him. _We all have an agenda to follow. No use getting mad at anyone about it. Just the way we all are, and that's what I have to change about myself._

          Kakashi had expected Naruto to stay mad at him, so he was surprised, to say the least, when his loud, hyperactive student simply bowed.

          "I guess I should say no thanks, and then thanks. No thanks to your substitute, and thanks for helping me make a big decision."

          "And what decision would that be?"

          "I'm leaving. Leaving your command, and leaving the team. No matter how the Chuunin Exam turns out. It's time we all stopped kidding ourselves that we can get along, and go our separate ways. After I see the Hokage, I'm going to go and train myself. If you want to make the most of the time we've got, you might as well take Sasuke and do the same. I'm not wasting a minute of this break; neither should he." 

          Surprised and stunned, Kakashi did nothing for a brief moment. Naruto, his decision made, turned and strode for the door. He was halfway out of the hospital entrance before his now-former sensei could say a word.

          "Naruto! Why would you do something like this?"

          The hyperactive ninja kept walking, but turned his head backwards, giving Kakashi one last glimpse of the boy. Naruto smiled a little, and then he was gone, one last message for his sensei barely reaching Kakashi's ears.

          "Because it's for the best. Because it's what my father would have done. You ought to know that better than anyone."

          It was a few seconds before the full impact of Naruto's words hit Kakashi. _He knows. Naruto knows everything - that he's the son of the Fourth, and that Arashi was my sensei. I don't know how he found out, but he knows. You can see it in his eyes, the tone of his voice. That explained everything, from Sakura's reports of the boy's new attacks, to the way he had acted in the Preliminaries, and the look in Naruto's eyes as he'd left the hospital. Disappointment, mixed with resignation. Not disappointment that Kakashi would not train him – disappointment that Kakashi had turned against his own sensei's example, putting one student above another. It hurt more than he would have thought._

          As much as he wanted to chase after Naruto, to prove that he hadn't forgotten Arashi's lessons, Kakashi knew it was too late. If Naruto was anything like his father, his mind was made up. About all Kakashi could do now was to make sure he played the part of teacher right for his last two students. If Naruto was going to live up to his father's example, it was Kakashi's duty to do the same for his fallen sensei. _Sasuke, you'd better be ready to train. Damned if you'll slack off, and damned if I'll let you out of my sight before I find a way to end Orochimaru's influence on you!_

* * *

          [Boy, you really told _him_ off, Naruto.]

          It was hard to tell if Itachi was being sarcastic, but Naruto had been around the ferret long enough to guess right.

          "Look, I may still want to get his help someday with other stuff. Making him angry isn't a good idea. Besides, even if I _had _verbally ripped his head off, he wouldn't have changed his mind. Sasuke's his pet project."

          [Eh, his loss. So whatcha gonna do now?]

          "I guess I'm going to go back home and train in the Diamond and Invisible Bodies. If I can't summon, I'm just gonna have to stick with what I know, and increase my staying power."

          A laugh behind him stopped Naruto in mid-musing. As he turned around, he caught sight of Ebisu again, smirking in that annoying fashion of his.

          "Honestly, I don't know what you're thinking. Someone with such terrible fundamentals as you have should train those, instead of trying stupid improvised attacks." 

          Naruto considered cursing at the Special Jounin, but had a better idea.

          "What about you? One look at a naked chick and you need a blood transfusion! Go out and find a girlfriend or something. Oh, sorry – I forgot you were a pervert. Can't even pay them to hook up, can you?"

          Ebisu's temper, strained from Naruto's earlier snub of his services, blew over. He pointed a shaking finger in the Genin's direction, face going bright red.

          "You-you-you…"

          "Wow," Naruto grinned. "I had no idea you stuttered. No wonder you can't get a date. Listen, I've got an idea. Why don't we go and work on your people skills, and see if that doesn't cure your girl problems?"

          Ebisu's only response was an inarticulate scream, as he began to run towards the blonde boy. Naruto leaped out of the way, and the chase was on. Over rooftops, through alleyways, Genin and Jounin bounced through the village, insults and curses flying between them as Naruto continued to evade Ebisu's wild attacks. By the time they reached the bathhouse, Naruto was feeling thoroughly good about life again. Sure, what he was doing wasn't too mature, but after all the angsty stuff with Kakashi, this was a great way to relax.

          "I've got you now, you irritating scamp!" 

          "Ha!" Naruto laughed, getting ready to move again. "The only thing you've got is a dead social life!"

          Suddenly, a voice hissed at them from behind, in the direction of the women's bathhouse.

          "Oi! Keep yer damn voices down, ya morons! Can't ya see there's work bein' done here?" 

          Naruto and Ebisu turned and caught sight of someone hunkered down at the wall of the women's bathhouse, peering in and scribbling something on a notepad. Whether it was because he was tired of chasing Naruto, or his sense of justice, Ebisu reacted first.

          "What do you think you're doing there?! Come away from that wall at once, you wretch! Don't make me come over there and stop your shameless acts myself."

          "Geez, I haven't heard a speech that lame in years," the man growled, spiky white hair showing up as he raised his head. "And would ya shaddup already? Yer gonna make me get caught!" 

          Perhaps figuring an older man would be an easier target, Ebisu rushed at the mysterious peeper. Naruto's jaw dropped as the white-haired man sighed and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When he emerged, Naruto stared in shock. The peeper was now sitting on top of a…giant toad? _This guy's a summoner?_

          Before Ebisu could react, the toad clocked him a good shot with a whip of its tongue, knocking the Jounin out cold.

          "Sheesh, what a moron. Can't do anything these days without somebody cracking ya over the head with their morals."

          Naruto simply continued to stare. Could it be that someone might be able to teach him to summon after all, even someone as perverted as the man seemed to be? _Oh, heck, if I could live with Kakashi-sensei, this guy won't be any worse. With that thought, he stepped towards toad and summoner. There was training to negotiate for, after all._

AUTHOR'S NOTES

IT'S OUT! Sure, it took over two months, but it's out. And if you were wondering when I would _really_ make this story an AU, you just saw the first major step in that path. Look for Naruto to have some rather new adventures from this point out.

Thanks for all the reviews, and for the huge participation that I got in the polls. As you can see, I skipped the rest of the Preliminaries. Naruto will also be meeting with Konoha's very own dire wolf pack in a coming chapter. I probably won't do any more polls in the future, but you never know. :p

I know some of you may not like the way that Ino and Naruto are beginning to notice each other, but they've always looked like they'd be pretty good friends to me, and I thought I'd see if it would fly in this story. Romance? That's still up in the air. Convince me with a good enough reason to do it or not, and I may consider it. :p

Until next time…keep reading, and keep reviewing. Every little bit helps this story get better for you.


	13. A Day of First Impressions

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 13 – A Day of First Impressions**

Summary: Ino did more in her fight against Sakura than just fight to a draw – she impressed everyone there, showed off a new technique, and was the major factor behind Naruto deciding that he was leaving Team 7 – whether he passed the Chuunin Exam or not. 

Now, with the Finals looming, Naruto and all of the other Leaf Genin are about to begin a journey into the unknown that could very well alter the village for good. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will learn as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

          Uzumaki Naruto's dreamscape was seldom a place of peace and quiet, despite usually appearing when he was asleep. Now, the silence of his dreamscape was again shattered by shouting and the tinkling of shattered glass.

          "I'll kill him! I'll rip his legs off and shove them where the sun doesn't shine! That white-haired, loud-mouthed, no-account pervert is a dead man!"

          "Geez, Dad, calm down. You'll burst a ghostly blood vessel."

          Kazama Arashi snarled a curse, wondering why his son was being so cavalier about the situation.

          "You know, for someone who just got thrown off a cliff, you seem pretty okay with it. Exactly what part of this don't you get? You could die! Not to mention having to act like such a fool just to get that idiot to train you in the first place…"

          Uzumaki Naruto was not a child anymore – at least, not in his mind. _I don't need to be coddled or babied! _

          "Who's the one who's always going on about how my duty is so freaking important, Dad? How if I give up or let the Ninetails win, I'm letting everyone down? Well, what better test than surviving a fall into a canyon? I gotta learn what Pervert Sennin was trying to teach me some time, don't I?"

          "Oh, that's rich. The ends justify the means? What if you were just a few days from figuring it all out on your own? All the training in the world is useless if you're dead!"

          Naruto shrugged.

          "Dad, you're twelve years too late to be trying to save me from a life of violence."

          The Fourth Hokage stopped in his tracks, gaping at his son as he continued to speak.

          "I've faced Zabuza and Haku, Orochimaru, Sound-nins, Mist-nins, Kiba, all sorts of enemies. Any one of them could have killed me, if I'd wasted the time on worrying about that. Being a shinobi means we're always at risk. We just have to carry on and do what we have to. Or have I got it wrong?"

          Arashi sighed. _Kid's got a point._

          "No, you've got it down. It's just not easy for a parent to watch their child undergo something that dangerous, training or not."

          Naruto stood up from where had been sitting at the table in his dreamscape room, pacing over to the window.

          "You're treating me like I'm some rank amateur, a kid who's gotta be protected from all the dangerous stuff out there. But that's because all you really remember of me is as a baby. I'm a Genin in the Leaf, not the child you left behind. If you really want to help me, then help me with the challenges I'm facing now, not the ones you're still trying to make up for missing."

          The Fourth sensed that his son meant what he said, but also caught the faint undertone of resentment in Naruto's words. The two of them were closer than they had been when he'd first spoken to the boy, true. _But not all wounds heal instantly._

          "If that's the way you want it, then who am I to argue? Tell me what you need, and we'll get it done."

          Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, happy that his father hadn't made it harder than it had to be. Besides, he had his _own_ revenge planned for the Pervert Sennin anyway…

          "I just want to go over the stuff that's happened since Pervert Sennin started teaching me, and get the basics down. I gotta get better at this, or else I'll never be able to reach the level of summoning Jiraiya's at."

          "So start from the beginning, and we'll see what you're still not getting."

          Where to begin? Having to bribe the old sage with a Sexy no Jutsu? Endless attempts to summon toads calling only tadpoles? Naruto had plenty of moments he'd much rather have done over again. Only one of them stuck in his memory, though.

          "Why weren't you there when I was just talking with the Ninetails about using his power?"     

          "It's an isolated experience. You were accessing his psyche directly through his chakra, so you weren't here, in your mindscape. You and the Ninetails were in direct communication. And technically, I _was_ there. I was the gate that kept him from getting to you physically."

          "You think it's worth trusting that thing? I mean, when I fought Haku and the red chakra came out, I was losing control, fightin' like Kiba even. Can't be doing that against Neji or some other enemy, or else I'm dead."

          Arashi waved a finger, admonishing his son.

          "Think, Naruto. What was it about fighting Haku that was different from what you need to do in the canyon?"

          "Well, I was pissed at Haku for not being able to fight his Ice Mirrors. In the canyon, I was trying to find anything to help me survive, or get out of there."

          "That's the difference, right there."

          "What're you talking about?"

          "Let's have a look."

* * *

          He had awakened in the middle of a dark, wet corridor, gingerly picking himself up out of the water and looking about.

          _Last thing I remember I was falling down the canyon, getting ready to die. So, what, I'm in the afterlife already? Pretty dreary place, if you ask me. _

          Before long, Naruto's eyes adjusted, and he began to make out the substance of the place – worn pipes dripping water down upon him, corridors leading out in all directions, and all of it lit with an eerie light; glowing dark red, pulsing as though mimicking the beating of a heart.

          The blonde Genin had not seen this place before, but he would have known that light – or at least its color – anywhere. Naruto had felt its influence only once, while fighting Haku. _Gotta be the Ninetails' power giving off that light. That Fox is a tough customer. Made me strong, but it really wasn't me doing the fighting out there. Can't be having that._

          He had felt nothing upon first waking, but as Naruto began to walk, a feeling of faint dread began to creep its way up his spine. Each step was taking him closer to _something – what it was, he didn't know, but it wasn't going to be a real happy place. __Not lit up like this, it's not._

          After some time, he found himself in front of a metal gate, shut tight and sealed with a paper ward. Behind it was blank darkness, but Naruto was not stupid enough to believe the shadows were empty. Whatever had been troubling him was in there.

          "WHELP…COME CLOSER."

          The words were not so much said as they were insinuated into his mind, assaulting his very soul with implied hate. The blonde Genin snarled, fully recognizing what had spoken.

          _You think you're the only one who deserves to feel hate? _

          "Screw you, you giant hairball! Think I don't know you want to kill me and take control? Go ahead and try. My father's already taken care of you."

          "THE SON HIDES BEHIND HIS FATHER'S FOUL SEAL. YOU ARE A MATCHED PAIR."

          _So he wants out, does he? That could be arranged. _

          "Bitch all you want, but you're not getting out – except under my terms."

          "TERMS? WHAT NEED HAVE I TO LISTEN TO YOUR INSIGNIFICANT TERMS?"

          "How about that drop we're taking down the canyon? You're gonna be as dead as me once we hit the bottom." 

          The Demon Fox stayed silent for a while, finally responding in an irritated tone as it bowed to reality.

          "SPEAK, WHELP."

          "I get it that you hate me, and you probably hate everything in sight. I can't change that, and it's your problem anyway. You're angry? Fine. I can give you a way to release your frustration. Let me have full access to your power, not just drops and trickles. I get as much chakra as I can handle, and you can come along as we wreak havoc on the enemy, as long as I'm the one in control. You just stay out of my head, and we're cool."

          "WHAT BENEFIT IS THERE TO ME? I WOULD NOT BE THE ONE WHO FIGHTS. THERE IS NO MEANING IN DESTRUCTION UNLESS MY OWN HAND INFLICTS IT." 

          "Ah, but I wasn't done explaining the agreement." 

          "THIS SHOULD BE INTERESTING."

          "If you fight alongside me, someday I'll break this seal. When I do, we'll fight for real. You win, you can have control. Body and soul, if that's what you want. If I win, you're mine. Let me draw on your chakra, strength, and even summon you, if we can figure out how to work that. What do you say?"

          "DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A FOOL? HOW DO I KNOW YOU WILL EVER CHALLENGE ME AND BREAK THE SEAL?" 

          "Hey! Let's get something straight, you demonic furball. I don't care what you think of me. But Uzumaki Naruto never goes back on his word. That's my ninja way, and don't you _ever_ forget it! If I say we're gonna fight, then damn it, we're gonna fight!

          "You don't have to agree to this deal. But believe me when I say I'd be happy to die right now if it means I'll take your nine-tailed ass with me. It's up to you."

          The Ninetails laughed.

          "HA! YOU HUMANS CLING TO LIFE LIKE LEECHES. YOU ARE BLUFFING."

          "Am I? You killed my mother. My father is stuck forever as your seal, dead to everyone but you and me. You nearly destroyed the Leaf Village. Look in my eyes, bastard. Sasuke isn't the only one who has something to kill."

          The room shook as the Ninetails roared with laughter.

          "YOU WOULD HAVE MADE A GOOD DEMON, WHELP. YOU HAVE THE ART OF BARGAINING WITH THE ADVANTAGE MASTERED.

          "VERY WELL! IF YOU ARE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO CHALLENGE ME, THE GREATEST OF THE YOUKAI, THEN YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR WISH, AND I SHALL HAVE MY FREEDOM. UNTIL THEN, USE MY POWER AS YOU WILL. I SHALL WAIT FOR THE TIME WHEN I DESTROY YOU."

          "Yeah, you do that," Naruto snorted. "Then you can join Dosu, the Mist-nins, and Kiba in the Hall of Shame."

          The Ninetails shrugged off Naruto's warning.

          "BAH, ENOUGH WORDS. I TIRE OF YOU, AND I HAVE AGREED TO YOUR TERMS. LET US EXIT THE CANYON."

          "For once, we actually agree on something. Tell me this isn't going to become a habit."

          "BELIEVE ME, WHELP. IT WILL NOT."

          Arashi turned back to his son as the just-completed memory faded out. 

          "That's the difference I was talking about. You were in control the whole time, and the agreement went down on your terms. The Haku fight was pure instinct; you might as well have been a wild animal. This time, you made a rational choice, and you'll probably cheat death in the process. If you can remember that control is the key, the Fox is never going to be able to beat you when you fight."

          Naruto shrugged as his father spoke. 

          "I don't want to rely on it that much, Dad. Like the furball said, if I'm not doing the fighting, what's the point?"

          "So don't use it when you're training. The entire point of having the Ninetails' power is as an emergency reserve, or to summon. The rest of the time, use your own chakra, and build it up. You'll have to do that in order to win the fight with him anyhow."

          "Yeah, I guess," Naruto groused. "Now I just gotta get out of this damn canyon." 

          "Well, what are you standing around here for? Go! You wanna die when you've just extorted the Ninetails?"

          "Hell, no! It's toad time!"

* * *

          Even before Naruto's perception returned to the swiftly approaching canyon floor, his hands were in motion, a quick bite to a thumb producing the necessary blood, as Jiraiya had taught him. He ran through the seals quickly, the one part of the summoning process he had managed to master – and gave his own version of a prayer.

          _Now WORK this time, damn it! _

          "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning no Jutsu)!" 

          Naruto's mental request was answered, not by the mere puff of smoke that he had seen every time before, but by a red glow, slowly spreading forth from the palm he held outthrust. _Looks like even the Ninetails keeps its word when it's given._

          The canyon echoed with a great noise, the faint pop of Naruto's prior attempts replaced with a roar, air displaced by whatever was being summoned forth. And as the rush of noise stopped, so did Naruto's descent. 

          A faint smell of water and tobacco greeted his nostrils as the blonde Genin looked around; gradually, the smoke subsided, and he saw what had answered his prayer. _Now that is one big toad! _

          "Yeah! Take that, Pervert Sennin! First successful summon and it's even bigger than the toad you were riding!"

          Naruto's shout had hardly begun to echo in the canyon before it was drowned out by another roar – this time, of words.

          "OI, YOU PUNK! WHAT THE HELL YA DOIN' ON MY HEAD? WHERE'S JIRAIYA?"

          "Whaddaya mean, where's Pervert Sennin? He ain't the one who did the summoning, I was!" 

          The giant toad was silent for a brief moment, eyes rotating inward to gaze at the boy on its head. 

          "_YOU SUMMONED ME."_

          "Yeah! How many times I gotta say it?"

          "BWAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU GOT SOME GUTS, SHRIMP, LYING YOUR MOUTH OFF LIKE THAT. A PUP LIKE YOU BEING ABLE TO SUMMON THE BOSS TOAD, GAMABUNTA-SAMA? LIKE HELL!" 

          Without bidding, another voice stirred in Naruto's mind, rage directed outwards, and not at him, for once.

          _THIS TOAD DARES TO MOCK MY POWER? LET ME LOOSE! I WILL TEACH HIM TO LAUGH AT THE GREATEST OF THE YOUKAI. _

          Naruto had been afraid that access to the Demon Fox's power would lead to something like this. If he backed down now, what would keep the Ninetails from walking all over him in the future? 

          _Hey! I gave you my word, and you gave me yours. If I wanted your opinion, I'd ask for it. This is my show, so stay out of my head and let me handle it! You'll get your precious dignity back. _

          _I HAD BETTER. _

          _Geez, self-absorbed, ain't he? Shoulda left him in that cage. _

          "Shrimp? Pup? You're not one to read much, are you?"

          "WHADDAYA MEAN, KID?"

          Gamabunta's eyes narrowed as a red glow began to gather around Naruto. Slowly, the boy's face took on a more feral look, the demonic power within him showing its effects. The blonde Genin snarled, burning to avenge the insult to his capabilities.

          "You know what they say. Don't judge a book by its cover. I'm no different. You want to insult me, go right ahead. But don't blame me when you have to tell somebody someday that the very first thing you did when you met the son of the Fourth Hokage – the future Hokage of the Leaf - was call him a weak-ass shrimp. People might start to think you weren't so smart."

          "HO, SO THE PUP HAS FANGS! THAT LOUD MOUTH OF YOURS IS LIKE THE FOURTH'S, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT. TELL YOU WHAT – YOU GET IN A BATTLE, CALL ME UP AND I'LL SEE IF YOU REALLY ARE HIS BOY. THEN YOU CAN HAVE THE SAME HONOR I GAVE THE FOURTH."

          "And that would be…?"

          "TO STAND ON MY HEAD! YOU THINK I ENJOY HAVING PEOPLE RIDING ME LIKE A DAMN HORSE?"

          "Heh. Guess not. So all you need is for me to prove myself in battle, huh? I can do that."

          "WE'LL SEE, KID. NOW LET'S GET OUT OF HERE. MY LEGS ARE CRAMPING UP FROM HOLDING US HERE."

          "Suits me. I gotta go find Pervert Sennin and kick his ass for this anyhow." 

          "SAVE SOME FOR ME, WILL YA? I OWE HIM A BEATING FOR PUTTING ME IN THIS SITUATION."

          "Would you count kicking his butt a battle to prove myself in?"

          "I AIN'T GONNA MAKE IT THAT EASY FOR YA, KID."

          "Eh, can't say I didn't try. Let's go, then. I got some more fighting to do."

          "HANG ON, THEN, 'CAUSE I AIN'T GONNA SAVE YA TWICE IN ONE DAY."

* * *

          Naruto looked around as he and Gamabunta emerged from the canyon in a single bound, seeing no sign of Jiraiya anywhere. 

          "Looks like the pervert's gone off peeping again, big guy. We'll just have to save the beatings for another day."

          "DON'T WORRY ABOUT HIM. IT'S GONNA TAKE MORE THAN KICKING JIRAIYA'S BUTT TO SHOW ME YOU'RE THE FOURTH'S SON. I'LL BE WATCHING, KID!"

          Having said his thing, the Boss Toad disappeared in a giant cloud of smoke, the same way he had arrived. Naruto stared at the cloud for a moment, letting the events of the last few days sink in. He was a true summoner now, and when Itachi got back from the "diplomatic mission" the Speaker had sent his ferret sidekick on, he would be able to summon more than just toads. 

          "Heh. Wonder what Neji's face is gonna look like when I show him how many contracts I've signed?"

          [He will not be particularly impressed, I think.]

          Naruto's head snapped around as he looked for the animal that had just spoken to him. 

          "Who said that?"

          A large black shape swept past him, resolving into a giant raven, fully four feet long from beak to tail, with a wingspan that dwarfed the hawks and eagles he normally saw above Konoha. The raven circled briefly in mid-air, before coming to rest nearby, staring at him with its dark, glossy eyes. As the blonde Genin stared back, something the two sparrows he had first talked to weeks ago came back to him, their last bit of advice. _When you are ready, seek out any bird, and ask them to lead you to the Ebon Shadows_. 

          "I take it you're one of the Ebon Shadows, the raven tribe?" 

          [You are partially correct, Chosen One. The ravens have never needed fancy names or titles. We only distinguish certain among our number. There is but one Ebon Shadow, and you see him before you.]

          "Chosen One? What are you talking about? All the other animals call me Speaker. Did I suddenly pick up another job?"

          [No. I am merely calling you by your true title, the one every human such as yourself has worn since the first human struck a bargain with Nature. You are the Mother's Chosen One, as your mother, grandfather and uncle were before you. Most animals have neither the attention span nor the respect for your position to use the full title; that is where the Speaker name comes from.]

          "Nice. Do I have to remember all that?"

          [It will help. The old ways are not in wide use any longer, but several of the more traditional tribes still abide by them, including the wolves. If you wish, I will address you as Speaker.]

          "Sure, I guess. What did you mean by saying I'm not going to impress anyone with contracts?" 

          [You will only have one contract, not many, if you concentrate on your duties in the forest. A Speaker does not require contracts to summon his subjects.]

          "If I don't need contracts, then why did I have to sign one to summon Gamabunta and all those tadpoles?"

          The Ebon Shadow's only response was to spread its wings and take flight, gliding towards the tree line. 

          [Come into the forest with me, Uzumaki Naruto. I will answer any questions you have as we travel.]

          Still curious, Naruto played along. After a time, as the bright sun of the cliff top was replaced with light shining through trees, the raven spoke again.

          [Gamabunta, and most of the toads bound by that contract, are not of this forest and its lands. You therefore require a contract in order to call them into battle. However, the animals of any region are much easier to summon for their Speaker. No contract is needed once you have established a bond between yourself and a tribal leader. Unless you learn to summon other creatures not of the Konoha region, you would only have one contract to show to Hyuga Neji.]

          "How do you know his whole name?"

          [The rank of Ebon Shadow makes me the tribal chief of the ravens and their Lorekeeper. It also makes me your personal Lorekeeper, as my predecessors were for your ancestors. My master and mentor was the Lorekeeper for your grandfather, for example. The Lorekeeper's duty is to know everything about his master, be it his life story or simply a record of battles. My tribe and I have been keeping track of your life for some time, waiting until you assumed your rightful role.] 

          Naruto stopped in his tracks, looking up at the flat expression on the raven's face.

          "Wait a minute. You _knew_ all along what I was? Why didn't you tell me all this stuff when I was a kid?"

          [The Mother provides all, Naruto. Her children are forbidden to force a Speaker to assume their role, whether as a child or as an adult. Even if we had wanted to speak to you or tell you of your abilities, we could not have. Every Speaker must approach the role in individual fashion, free of outside influence. It would not do to have a Speaker who served, but resented their duties. Nobody would benefit.]

          "It's not like I wouldn't have said yes if you'd asked when I was little. You have any idea how much I wanted to have a friend back then?"

          [Of course. There were many who knew what was going on in your life. But try to understand, Naruto. Had we come forward then, offering to bring forth your abilities, and tempted you to assume the role, it would have been useless. You would have been too young to appreciate the job that came with the ability. Even your great-grandfather Kotaro was 14 before he took the title; he was the youngest Speaker we had ever known before you came along.]

          Naruto was silent for some time, continuing to walk through the forest, but not looking at the raven. When he spoke again, it was in a low, controlled tone.

          "You may have a point, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Let's get something straight right now. I don't care how much you know about me, or my life. If you want me to keep doing this crazy job, and you want to keep yours, don't _ever withhold anything from me again. I want the truth, no matter how much it might suck, or how brutal you have to be. We clear?" _

          [Crystal clear.]

          "Good. Now let's go wherever you were taking us already. I ain't got time to waste with the Finals so close."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

What I'm about to say may come as a surprise to some of you. Others who have been reading my notes more carefully may have seen this coming. Lately, I've had to consider this issue a lot, and I very nearly quit writing altogether because of it. Now I've made a decision, and I'm moving on. It's time to set the record straight.

Bloodlines will not – I repeat, not – have any shonen/shoujo-ai relationships in it, if indeed there are any relationships in it at all. None of my stories, whether it's Bloodlines, Eye of the Beholder, or any future ones that are written, will have yaoi/yuri. I don't write it, and I never will, unless the fandom I'm writing about is yaoi/yuri in canon. 

If you don't like it, that's all right. I'm not here to comment on what I think about the subject, and people should be free to think whatever they like. But when people continue to ask me to do something that I cannot and will not do, then it crosses the line. There is, and probably will continue to be, plenty of such reading material in the Naruto fandom. Enjoy it; that's why it's there. Just don't expect to see any of it coming from me.


	14. Call of the Wild

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 14 – Call of the Wild**

Summary: Naruto managed to summon Gamabunta, with the help of the chakra he extorted out of the Ninetails in exchange for a promise to fight the demon someday for total control of his body. But everybody's favorite hyper ninja also met the Ebon Shadow, chief of the ravens, who told him a few things he didn't exactly enjoy hearing about his life and duties. Now Naruto is off to begin his first mission as a Speaker, and attempt to gain the summons that he's been wanting for so long.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will learn as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

          Before long, Naruto found himself going up the back of the Hokage Memorial, a mountain landscape he had never actually seen. Not overly familiar with the area, he looked around, searching for animals. 

          "That reminds me…where's Itachi? I sent him out to tell all the tribes I was taking on the job. He should have reported back by now."

          [Ah, the ferret? I sent him home.]

          "What the hell for?"

          The Ebon Shadow fixed his master with a discerning eye.

          [It would have been useless, Naruto. The chiefs are proud of their rank, and they would accept nothing less than your personal appearance to acknowledge you. Sending a lackey would make you come off as arrogant. You cannot afford to give them that kind of first impression.]

          "Even animals have feelings, is that it?"

          [Indeed.]

          "Which chief are you taking me to see?"

          [We are to meet the safest tribe possible, considering your level of experience and youth. The back of the memorial mountain is the home of the bears.]

          "If they're the same bears that even made the wolves nervous, I think I'm going to like them." 

          [I would not be so sure. The forest has changed greatly in twelve years. Not everything is as it was when your mother was Speaker.]

          "What do you mean?"

          [Talk to the bears, and you will see for yourself.]

          It didn't take long for Naruto to quickly lose his enthusiasm for talking to the biggest inhabitants of the forest. It wasn't that they were boring. That he could have lived with. Instead, he was losing interest (and getting more than a little irritated) at what he was hearing from their chief. 

          [We will accept the Speaker's Blessing when he has assumed his role – not before. Bargain all you wish, Lord Shadow, but I have made my decision, and I will not back down!]

          It seemed even the chief of the ravens had moments when his calm manner turned angry.

          [Lady Sunflower, the Speaker has told you personally that he is ready to begin his duties. _I_ have told you he is ready. It is unreasonable to demand assurances when you already have more than enough!]

          The female head of the bear tribe rose up on her hind legs, roaring out the frustration everyone in the forest clearing had been feeling since Naruto and the Ebon Shadow had arrived. Since the grizzly bear was twice the size of any of her subjects, rising to almost fourteen feet when standing, it had rather an awe-inspiring effect on Naruto – until she opened her mouth again.

          [We have been waiting for someone to take up the burden that Haruka-sama vacated twelve years ago, to make up for the loss of her conviction and heart. Instead you bring a child, Lord Shadow! _A child!_ He is even younger than Kotaro-sama was! Do not think your position allows you to insult my intelligence! Our land is in anarchy, and you send an untrained Speaker to resolve the situation!]

          [His inexperience is precisely why I brought him to you. He has no ties or favored tribes, being so young. There is no way he could possibly be biased, unlike Kotaro-sama or Haruka-sama could be at times. That leads to a fairer outcome for all of us, does it not?]

          [Not if he cannot get the chiefs to listen to him! Would _you_ listen to a fledgling?]

          [If his ideas were reasonable and his heart resolute, I would. You, I fear, would have him come back in a decade or two.]

          "Are the two of you done talking about me like I'm not here? Because I'm a little tired of being patronized by both of you."

          The Ebon Shadow took flight from the branch where he had been addressing Lady Sunflower, landing beside Naruto.

          [My apologies, Speaker. This is your stage, not mine.]

          "Forget it. I should have let everyone know from the start that things are going to be a little different around here. But there's plenty of time to correct that mistake, and here is a good place to start."

          Turning to look at the giant bear in front of him, Naruto let a little of the Ninetails out. Not enough to strengthen him, but enough to change the color of his aura and the expression on his face. As he did so, the light began to dim in the sunlit clearing, each ray shining on Naruto becoming tinged with a crimson aura, menace creeping slowly from his shadow. Gamabunta had needed a show of power to take notice of the Fourth's son, and an angry fourteen-foot-long female bear was not going to respond well either if he wussed out. 

          "I can't argue with your logic. If I had to depend on someone fresh out of the Academy to do a job, I'd probably be suspicious too. But it's one thing to doubt me, and another thing entirely to call me incompetent from the start.

          "You see this body, count up the years since I was born and you call me a child. Physically? Sure, I'll grant you that much. But you haven't seen the battles I've fought. You've never been there to see me put my life on the line against an enemy who was supposed to be out of my league. So this once, I'll forget the insult. But let me say something I hope _you_ never forget. Everyone who ever underestimated me has lived to eat their words. You can insult me all you want if I fail to do what you're so worked up about – but that's a big if. So let's forget the pleasantries and trying to be pals. You obviously don't want to do either. Just tell me what you want done. I'll get off your mountain, and out of your fur."

          For a moment it seemed as though Lady Sunflower didn't know whether to accept Naruto's offer or simply rip him limb from limb. When she responded, it was with a curt tone. 

          [You come close to insult yourself, human. But I, too, shall overlook your actions – if you succeed.]

          "Words, words, words. Just give me the job and we'll see who's right."

          [If you wish to restore order, then bring back the wolves. End the anarchy, and save us all.]

          "What the hell kind of job description was that? Do I round them up? Hunt them down?"

          [I have said all I will say to you until you have rightfully assumed your title.]

          Naruto nearly reached for a kunai as the bear chief and her subjects turned and left the clearing, but he saw the Ebon Shadow shake its head briefly, and refrained. 

          "Who the hell does she think she is? I'm the one with the huge-ass job and all the duties! Does she think I _want_ to fail?"

          [Forgive them, Naruto. Of all the tribes in the Konoha Forest, the bears have suffered the most since your family was wiped out twelve years ago. The Ninetailed Demon Fox destroyed more than human lives. It brought a great tragedy down upon this forest.] 

          "And that would be…?"

          [Do you know that your mother was a great friend of the dire wolves?]

          "Yeah, what about it?"

          [Haruka-sama did not die alone when she fought the Ninetails. Blood Fang, Lord of the Forest and chief of the wolves, was with her. By his side stood three of his four sons, Shadowslayer, Raging Claw and Howling Thunder. All of them fought the Ninetails – and all of them died, faithful to the last. Ever since, the forest and mountains have echoed with the howls of the wolves, honoring their fallen heroes.]

          "You said _three_ of his four sons. Where was the other one?"

          [He was not there. That is the reason for Lady Sunflower's anger, and the suffering of the forest.] 

          "What does one wolf's survival have to do with an entire forest falling into anarchy?"

          [Everything. Blood Fang's fourth son, Moon Gazer, did not fight because he was a coward. His father ordered him to fight, but he fled instead, running deep into the mountains.]

          "If I had to fight the Ninetails straight up, I'd be scared too. It's understandable."

          [Not to the dire wolves. To them, cowardice is a mortal sin. When it was discovered that Moon Gazer had left his father and brothers to die, the wolves were thrown into chaos. They needed a new Pack Master, but the only remaining member of their royal family was the one wolf that none of them would follow.]

          "So what happened?"

          [The wolves have many separate Clans among their numbers, the equivalent of human families. Without a ruler, each Clan left to handle its own affairs, taking their own territory and turning it into a tinier kingdom. There was nobody left to enforce the laws that Blood Fang and his ancestors had decreed, most importantly the laws governing hunting – how much could be done, and where.

          [Some of the most loyal Clans have stayed true to the laws, even without a chief to guide them. Many of the other, younger Clans went on a rampage, ranging well over the borders of the wolves' territory, hunting anything they pleased, whenever they wanted. Now they terrorize the other animals, taking land that is not theirs, and threatening to wipe out whole tribes by killing the young and old alike. Since the wolves and bears have been rivals from the dawn of time, Lady Sunflower and her people have borne the brunt of this assault. For now, they are holding on, but they do not reproduce nearly as fast as the wolves. If order is not restored soon, they will be driven to extinction.]

          "So she really just wants me to find a new Pack Master all the wolves will accept, and have him rein them in?" 

          [That is the first step, yes. But it will not be easy. If it were as simple as just finding a popular wolf, Blood Fang could have been replaced in days, not years. No, the wolves are too traditional. They do not readily accept change.]

          "Sure, but there's gotta be some way to bring them together."

          [Perhaps. But it will be a daunting task, and unless you have any ideas, I suggest we go see an old friend of mine.]

          "No offense, but if he's anything like Lady Sunflower, I think I'm gonna pass." 

          [Even if I tell you he is one of the last wolves left who knew your mother personally?]

          "You'd better not be lying about that."

          The raven made a noise that sounded oddly like a laugh as it took wing, heading back down the mountain. 

          [When it comes to the wolves, lying is not a wise thing to do. Come, Naruto. We have little time to waste.]

* * *

          Naruto had many questions as he and the Ebon Shadow trekked deeper into the forest, one in particular coming up as they strolled through a stand of tall pine trees. 

          "So let me get this straight. I know the dearly departed leader, the last boss of the wolves, was named Blood Fang. You say the Clan Leader you're taking me to is named Blood _Claw_? What were they, brothers?"

          [They were as close as brothers, even if it was not in blood. Blood Claw is the Leader of the strongest Clan left, the Crimson Moon. The Crimson Moon Clan and Blood Fang's Clan, the Golden Moon, supposedly sprang from the same family long ago.]

          "A little bit like the Hyuga main house and branch house?"

          [Yes, but without the mutual hatred. Among the wolves, it is no shame to bow to one stronger than you, as long as you have learned your true strength through battle. To surrender without fighting may be smart for humans, but to a wolf it means utter disgrace.]

          Naruto was about to respond by defending his own bravery, but before he could, another voice cut him off, sounding old and tired.

          [Well said, old friend. You are a worthy Lorekeeper indeed to know so much of our ways.]

          Naruto turned to see a pack of dire wolves emerge from the shadows behind him, each with a wary look in its eyes except for the one in the lead, an old wolf, body and muzzle crisscrossed with battle scars. 

          The raven chief laughed, clacking his beak to show his great mirth.

          [Ha! In other words, I know too much for your liking?]

          [Finally you admit it, you old buzzard. But enough banter. I see you have brought the young Chosen.]

          [None other. He is the last true Chosen left, though there _is_ one other, I suppose, if you consider blood alone.] 

          [It will be an honor, then, to be the first to welcome him into this insane little world of ours.]

          Naruto's eyes narrowed as Blood Claw knelt on his front paws, each of his packmates doing the same in turn. _Guess the wolves have fonder memories of Speakers than the bears do._

          [By the grace of the Mother, the Chosen One rises, taking the place of the fallen, as it has ever been. I, Blood Claw, Leader of the Crimson Moon Clan, swear fealty to the Mother's Chosen, as the ancient pact demands. May his time among us be long and may he serve with honor.]

          "Uh…thanks a lot?"

          Blood Claw threw his head back and roared with laughter.

          [You are your mother's son, indeed. Nearly twenty of your human years ago, I watched Haruka-sama display the same reaction when she first came before my brother, Blood Fang. If I had not known of your blood before, I know it for certain now. She soon became confident in herself and her abilities, and we are all confident you will do the same.]

          "I probably would, if I hadn't been given such a nasty job to do right from the get-go. Lord Shadow says your Crimson Moon Clan is the strongest one left, and you have distant ties to the Golden Moon. Why not step in and stop the chaos by taking command of the other Clans?" 

          [Even if they would have accepted my stewardship, I am not long for this world. I sometimes think what you humans call "karma" is the only thing that keeps me alive, robbing me of my strength as punishment for the devastation that is being rained down upon the other tribes.]

          "Why would _you_ be punished? It wasn't like you were the one who chickened out of the fight with the Ninetails."

          [I do not have guilt about Moon Gazer's disgrace. That burden rests firmly on him, wherever he may have run to.]

          "Then what's with the guilt trip?"

          Blood Claw stood, walking back the way he had come, motioning with his scarred visage for the blonde Genin to follow. 

          [As well as we know each other, Lord Shadow, there are some things that should remain private. What I am about to tell the Chosen is for his ears and mine alone. I trust you understand.] 

          [Do what you must, old friend, if you believe it will help.]

          [It might – if it is not already too late. We shall see.]

          "Are we going to talk, or are the two of you going to reminisce all day?"

          [You are correct, Chosen. Let us be going.]

          It was some time before either of them spoke again, enough that boy and wolf had passed out of the forest proper and onto a mountain's side, looking out over the wasteland that formed the Leaf's border with the Sand. 

          "What's so embarrassing you had to come all the way out here to say it?"

          [Moon Gazer, or rather, what became of him. That is the reason for my guilt.]

          "Hold it. You just told me he got himself into this mess and it wasn't your problem. Why the sudden change of heart?"

          [Moon Gazer is indeed the cause of the chaos in this forest. However, he is also the solution.]

          Naruto's head snapped around as he turned to look at the old wolf. 

          "How is he the solution if no wolf will follow him?"

          [Moon Gazer has always had an option open to him, a way to end his disgrace. If he should prove his bravery to all of the Clans, and show he is a true descendant of the Golden Moon Clan, the Clans are honor bound to accept him as the Pack Master, Blood Fang's successor.]

          "Prove his bravery? How?"

          [He must challenge the head of each Clan to single combat and win. A normal pup would simply have to fight someone from each Clan to show his bravery, but the Golden Moon Clan is royalty. Their trials are more difficult by necessity. Our rulers must be the best among us, and that means they must be the strongest.] 

          Naruto shook his head, his own battle experience coming to mind.

          "No wonder Moon Gazer hasn't tried it, then. A wimp like him wouldn't last two seconds against a bunch of Clan Leaders who want him dead for shaming the tribe."

          [You are mistaken, Chosen. Moon Gazer was, and presumably still is, capable of killing most of the Clan Leaders in the tribe. I should know. I was his mentor, his teacher. I taught the pup everything I knew about combat, strategy, tactics. Moon Gazer was no less skilled than any of his brothers. The only thing he lacked, it seems, was courage.]

          Naruto heard the wolf's words, but something didn't make sense.

          "If he can defeat the Clan Leaders and prove his bravery, and he _knows_ it, why hasn't he made a move yet?"

          Blood Claw laughed, but this time it was a sound totally bereft of mirth. When the old wolf spoke, it was with a bitter, hard edge to his words.

          [He has not moved because of me.] 

          "Come again?"

          [I was his master in the ways of combat. I know the counter to every trick and attack he could possibly use, and even in my weakened condition, Moon Gazer cannot defeat me.]

          "I wouldn't be so sure, Blood Claw. I mean, this is his only chance to get back the glory he lost. Why wouldn't he at least try to take you on?"

          [There is a simple explanation, Chosen One. Moon Gazer _did_ try, not more than a year after Haruka-sama and my brother died fighting the Ninetails. Or at least, he told me that he would fight – and I was to be his first target.]

          "So you beat him?"

          Blood Claw's voice lost its edge, simply sounding tired, as though the weight of the world burdened him.

          [I did not have to.]

          "Then what the hell happened!?"

          [Moon Gazer came to me first because I was the only opponent he had to worry about. He would not say it aloud, but he expected me to give less than my best effort, expected me to help him erase the shame he had brought to the Golden Moon. He should have known better than to even suggest such a thing.

          [When he had finished pleading with me, Moon Gazer stood there, half a smile on his face, anticipating that I would do what he asked of me.]

          "And you turned him down flat."

          [Turned him down? I told the simpering fool I would kill him where he stood! A scion of the Golden Moon, blessed with power and strength that any other wolf would die for, reduced to a quivering ball of fur! Forcing his father and brothers to live their final moments in shame and remorse, rather than the joy and glory of battle! Even if every other Clan Leader bowed to him, my Clan would do no such thing! My brother deserved better than to have his memory tarnished by letting his son reclaim lost honor so easily. The only way he would ever prove his bravery was to kill me, and every other warrior of the Crimson Moon Clan, because we would never serve him while breath remained in our bodies. Moon Gazer knew he could not do so, and the coward fled for good.]

          "So what? You're a Clan Leader, someone who takes honor seriously. It was within your rights to chew him out like that."

          [Even if the consequence is causing anarchy in the entire forest?]

          "So you just want it to end, and damn the consequences?"

          [I am old, Chosen One, and perhaps a bit nostalgic because of it. When Haruka-sama and my brother were still alive, the wolves ruled the forest, as we should still. But it was not the rule of fear the Clans have imposed now. We ruled then because the other tribes respected us. They trusted my brother to rein in the Clans' savagery, and to cull only the weak and old. In return, we were given great tribute from each tribe, so that we would not only feast on the dregs, but also eat well. 

          [Those days will never return unless the Golden Moon Clan returns, and stops the disloyal Clans from destroying the other tribes with their over-hunting. If allowing Moon Gazer to win is the only way to restore order, I can live with the personal shame. My regret is that it has taken me this long to realize my folly.]

          "Okay, now we're getting somewhere. You want the Golden Moon Clan to come back and set things right. But I still gotta find Moon Gazer first, if he's even alive."

          [He is alive, but that is all I know for certain. There have been rumors coming from the desert and wastelands about an oasis near the edge of the forest. They say the animals of the desert have found a protector there, that a wolf defends them from other predators.]

          "You think it's Moon Gazer?"

          [None of the other Clans would range out that far. We are creatures of the forest, not the sands.]

          "Fair enough. So I'll ask you one last time, before I get Lord Shadow and head out there. Blood Claw, will you support Moon Gazer, if I bring him back to restore order?"

          [You have my word, Chosen. It is all I have left.]

          "I know. That's why I'll count on it."

* * *

          [I am confused, Naruto. If we are supposed to be looking for Moon Gazer's oasis, what are we doing at your house?]

          Walking down the path to the Uzumaki house, Naruto looked back at the Ebon Shadow, flying along behind him. 

          "Two things. First, I have to find Itachi. You know how ferrets are; they should have a good idea about all sorts of rumors. Maybe they know where the oasis would be. Second, I gotta get some supplies handy, like maybe a canteen. We could be out in that wasteland a long time looking for Moon Gazer, and I'd rather not get turned into a crispy critter out there if I can avoid it."

          [I must admit that I had not thought you would plan things so far ahead.]

          Naruto sighed. _Even the birds think I'm stupid?_

          "Look, I wasn't the best student in the Academy, and I'll never be a genius like people say Shikamaru is. But I'm no moron, as much as I might look it sometimes."

          [Indeed not. You will surely teach that to many in the human and animal worlds alike.]

          "Flattery ain't gonna get you anywhere, you feathered know-it-all. Stay here, and I'll open the big kitchen window. You're too big to fit through the door."

          A hop, several skips, two jumps and a full somersault later, Naruto arrived in the kitchen only missing several strands of hair and half an inch off the back of his jacket, which was pretty good, considering what had happened the last time he'd tried to get a late-night snack without Setsuna to guide him. Strolling over to the plate glass window in front of the sink, Naruto looked around, trying to figure out how to let the raven inside.

          "Latch…latch…how the hell do you open this thing? Ah, here we go." 

          His eyes locked on to a dusty metal latch at the top of the window, which the blonde Genin opened with a loud creaking noise. As Naruto pulled the closer half of the window inside, the raven chief swooped into the Uzumaki house, landing on the kitchen counter.

          [An interesting place. Is it true that this house is full of traps?]

          "I thought you knew all about my life already."

          [I do, but up until your aunt returned, you had never been in this house, and neither had any of my people. We may as well learn about the traps together.] 

          Naruto would have responded, but as he opened his mouth, a pot smacked into the back of his head with an audible _bong_. 

          "Learn outside, would ya? I've got the hangover from hell and I just woke up."

          The blonde Genin shrugged; seeing his aunt trying to overcome the effects of her latest hangover was nothing new, especially since her idea of negotiating with the builders of her restaurant was drinking them under the table before they signed any contracts.

          "Aunt Setsuna, it's almost sunset. When did you get in last night?"

          "Try this morning. I think it was around nine or so, because the Academy kids had just passed me on the way to school."

          Naruto shook his head, smiling a little. _Geez, who's the parent and who's the kid?_ Digging open a drawer, the younger Uzumaki leaned his head out of the way as knives shot out from a spring-loaded rack, and pulled out an aspirin bottle, tossing it over to where Setsuna sat with her head on the table. One of the ex-waitress' hands shot up and grabbed the bottle, her head never moving. She spoke again, voice a dull croak worthy of the Ebon Shadow.

          "Water."

          Naruto shrugged and went back over to the sink.

          "Bucket or glass?"

          "Glass. The bucket's for customers."

          Pouring a glass of tap water, Naruto placed it down on the table beside his aunt's head as quietly as possible. _No sense irritating her and missing out on free ramen for life._

          "So what did you squeeze out of them this time?"

          Setsuna's shoulders moved in something he assumed was supposed to be a shrug. 

          "No more discounts for me, as long as they finished painting and stuff by today. In fact, if I could drag my ass out of here and go check on them, they should be done by now."

          Naruto considered the impact of that statement.

          "You mean to say…?"

          "Yeah, if he's there, Slinger owes you five free super-size bowls of ramen as your winnings from the poker game last week. If the kitchen's ready, you could even get them today. I _told _the nutty bastard you haven't played enough poker to know how to bluff. But hell, I'm not the one who bet everything against a kid holding a royal flush."

          Just as Naruto was about to brag about his poker prowess, something else crossed his mind.

          "Hey, wait a minute, Aunt Setsuna. Did you respond to the Ebon Shadow just now? The raven perched on the counter?"

          Again her shoulders moved.

          "Yeah, something like that."

          "Then why would they have asked me to be Speaker if you have the ability and you already knew about it?"

          [We asked her first, Naruto. Setsuna-sama declined to take the position of Speaker.]

          "What? But you gotta know better than I do what has to be done!"

          "Maybe. Ain't really sure myself, to tell the truth. But even if I did know all that, I can't do it."

          "Why not?"

          Setsuna's hand moved again, pointing to the aspirin bottle.

          "Take a wild flipping guess."

          "The restaurant…?"

          "Yeah. I can talk to the animals all I want and try to help, but you and I gotta eat. Can't be running a restaurant with wild animals coming in at all hours of the day, ya know. People start making a stink about the place being unsanitary."

          Naruto shrugged. _Typical_. 

          "What a shocker. Can I at least bring in some of the animals now and then?"

          This time, his aunt actually sat up, revealing a set of bloodshot eyes she immediately closed before light could hit them.

          "Yeah, just keep 'em out of the kitchen. Look, Naruto, I realize I'm not the best parental figure, and I don't know half the stuff that you're really interested in learning. But don't think that means I don't care what happens to you or what you're going through. It just means I'm not always as available as, say, Iruka might be to you. If it's an emergency, come by the restaurant. Slinger and Miki do most of the work anyway."

          Naruto shrugged. He knew Setsuna was trying not to be as lazy as she had been at first, and he appreciated it. _But it'll be a while before we really trust each other like parent and child, and we both know it_. 

          "I'll keep it in mind, but right now I got a job to do on my own. Where's all the survival gear? Tents, canteens, and that kinda stuff?"

          Setsuna set her head back down on the table, her moment of candor over.

          "Check the armory, in the box that's furthest away from the door. Your great-grandfather believed nobody was worthy of using survival gear if they couldn't survive to get it, so watch for more traps. And whatever you do, don't touch the sword on the pedestal in the middle of the room. It's a fake, meant to lure would-be thieves to their doom."

          Striding back down the hallway on the first floor, Naruto and the Ebon Shadow eventually came to a door marked "Armory." The Genin shrugged, not very impressed.

          "I wonder what the big deal is about protecting this place? If they were all Anbu, there shouldn't be anything in there but those straight blades."

          [Do not be so sure. Your great-grandfather was a great lover of weapons.] 

          Naruto snorted, reaching for the door handle, and opening the Armory.

          "Come on, Shadow, you expect me to believe that he's got some huge stockpile of…stuff…?"

          The Ebon Shadow looked into the room as he heard Naruto's voice trail off, and immediately saw why. _The stories were true. Uzumaki Kotaro was stubborn and a fool in many things, but nobody knew weapons as well, or had as many_. 

          The room they looked into stretched out at least two hundred feet, walls lined with dozens of weapon racks. Naruto glanced at each in turn as he stepped into the room.

          "What was he preparing for, a war? Spears, naginata, katanas, even a couple of no-dachis and a zanmato...he's got five whole racks just for kunai and shuriken alone!"

          [All possibilities for all situations. That was his philosophy. Your great-grandfather was a proud man, and being caught unprepared would have been a loss of face to him.]

          "Sounds like an uptight jackass to me. No wonder he and Aunt Setsuna never saw eye to eye."

          [That may be true, Naruto, but do not let your disagreement with his ways turn into disrespect. For all his faults, Kotaro-sama was still a respected Speaker and a just man. That is more than many animals would say about a human.] 

          Naruto just grinned as he slowly crossed the floor, moving towards the box he wanted.

          "Never said I didn't respect his legacy. You _can _be a genius and a jackass at the same time. Just look at Neji."

          [Fair enough.]

          Strangely, nothing much happened as Naruto approached the survival gear. Was it his experience with the house kicking in? Or was it simply that the sword set in the middle of the room, hilt glowing with inlaid jewels and gold, was trap enough to protect the entire place? It bore looking into – _after_ he'd gotten what he needed. 

          "Great, he's got a tent and canteens. I'll just be taking these, and we're off to find Itachi. Hope you know where he lives, because I sure don't. He just appeared out of nowhere the day we met." 

          The raven chief sounded a lot less confident in his answer than usual.

          [Actually…]

          "Don't tell me the Lorekeeper doesn't even know where a ferret would live?"

          [Unfortunately, I am mostly only familiar with the chiefs. Lord Yama, the chief of the ferrets, would probably know where Itachi lives. We can always go and ask him, since you would have had to meet him at some point anyway.]

          Naruto sighed. 

          "You've got an answer for everything, all right. So show me where he is, and let's go. Gotta get into the desert before sunset, find some firewood and drag it along for tonight." 

          [We should be off then. This is probably the only time of day Lord Yama is ever active, when he first wakes up. The rest of the time he is either sleeping, eating or generally doing nothing at all.]

          "You make him out to be like Aunt Setsuna."

          The raven chief made a sound like a snort as he flew back towards the entrance of the Armory.

          [For good reason. Where do you think he got his ideas?]

          "They know each other!?"

          [No, I doubt it. Setsuna-sama never did anything Speaker-related when she was younger. Once she found out that domestic animals like dogs and cats couldn't talk to her, it apparently "wasn't worth the effort" for her to go out and find the wilder animals in the forest.]

          "That sounds like her, all right. How did Lord Yama get his ideas from her?" 

          [Even if he never met Setsuna-sama in person, the affairs of the Uzumaki family were always well known in the forest. Our welfare depends in large part on who the Speakers are, and how well they perform their duties. Your aunt's defection was the talk of the Konoha forest for years after she left. Lord Yama heard the stories about it as a child, and decided that it was possible to rule with as little effort as possible, as long as he gave it just a tiny bit more effort than Setsuna-sama. And when he said tiny, he meant it.]

          "So the ferrets are running wild like the wolves?"

          [Lord Yama would never allow his people to descend into chaos. I cannot say much for his work ethic, but he has some idea of his responsibilities. If a matter truly requires his attention, he will handle it. If it does not, he expects his people to take matters into their own paws. It would never work for any other tribe, but then the ferrets are scavengers; they are used to getting by on their own.]

          "They'd better be. I can only handle one tribe in chaos at a time."

          Genin and raven traveled the same careful route back out of the room, but Naruto found his attention diverted by the sword on the pedestal again, simply sitting there harmlessly. 

          "Okay, hang on. Who would actually be dumb enough to touch that thing? It practically screams _trap_, even to someone who's not a ninja. I bet the gold and stuff isn't even real."

          [Is it wise to simply ignore what Setsuna-sama said, though? You know she would not go to the trouble of lying to you.]

          "I know that much. But it just doesn't make any freaking sense! If my great-grandfather was so hung up on his weapon collection, why would he only protect it with such an obvious trap? I gotta check it out."

          [Do you really think that's safe?]

          Naruto snorted.

          "Gimme some credit. I'm not gonna touch it myself – well, not technically anyway. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

          A clone of the blonde boy popped out in a cloud of smoke, as Naruto himself backed slowly out of the room, the Ebon Shadow swiftly following him. Both of them watched as the other Naruto stepped boldly up to the pedestal and grabbed the bejeweled sword hilt.

          Uzumaki Setsuna looked up from the table as she heard footsteps coming in her direction, figuring her nephew was done messing around and was ready to leave. As Naruto entered the room, the former waitress noted an odd look on the boy's face. 

          "You touched the sword, didn't you?"

          He was silent for a moment before responding.

          "How'd you guess?"

          "There's only two ways for a human face to get that white, and you don't strike me as the type to wear makeup. Gramps always was touchy about his collection falling into the wrong hands."

          "Touchy? Throwing a temper tantrum is touchy. Kicking a goban over when you're losing is touchy. _That _was not touchy! That was downright psychotic!"

          "Welcome to my world, kid. Your mother and I had to go through that every day as kids. Well, not the violent part, but at least the psychotic part. Just be glad you don't."

          "Yeah, yeah, spare me the history lesson. I got what I needed, so I'm off. Don't know when I'll be back, so don't be drinking too much, okay?"

          Setsuna growled and set her head back on the table.

          "I heard you the first time. What are you, my mother?"

          "Nah." Naruto grinned as he leapt out the window, the Ebon Shadow behind him. "Wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Another chapter, and another step closer to the really fun stuff, like the Neji fight, which I'm hoping will be soon. ^_^;

This chapter, I have a little request/contest for any aspiring artists out there who read any of my stories. I'd like to get some sketches or even color drawings (if possible) of two characters from future stories I'll be doing. The best image I get will be noted in this space in a future chapter of Bloodlines (along with a link to your site if you have one and give me the address), and if I ever get webspace, will be posted there. My e-mail address is in my FFN profile, so if you can help me out, I'd appreciate it.

1. A future Naruto: Taller (of course), wearing a pair of battered, torn-up jeans, a worn out leather bomber jacket, and a black T-shirt with a devil's head on the front. Hair is a little longer, still faintly spiky, and he has no forehead protector on. Also has a soul patch-type beard, just on the front of his chin. Pose can be anything you can think of, but preferably leaning with his back against a wall.

2. Original Character: Male, above-average height, say Kakashi-size. Hair is black, styled like Shikamaru's (tied back in a topknot). Leaf forehead protector straight across his forehead, and a black strip of cloth acting as an eyepatch across his left eye; facial hair is a neatly-trimmed goatee. Wears a jounin vest (which is the same as chuunin, just apparently a darker shade of green), and is dressed pretty much like Kakashi or Iruka otherwise. Has two katanas strapped to his back, one behind each shoulder, and should preferably be holding one of them in the drawing (either hand is OK).

And…how could I forget? It's time for a double dose of…

**Naruto's Wild Kingdom!**

**Common Raven (_Corvus corax_)**

In most of its range, the Common Raven is common only in wilderness areas. But in some places in the North, ravens scavenge for food around towns and will compete with gulls for garbage. When flying they sometime engage in displays, mock fighting, tumbling, and other forms of acrobatics. They are among the most intelligent of birds.  
**Look For: **A large, glossy, black bird with pointed wings in flight. Larger but shyer than the American Crow.

**Length: **21-27".  
**Habitat: **Forests, rocky coasts, western deserts.  
**Range: **Canada, western regions of U.S., Appalachians.

**Grizzly Bear (_Ursus arctos_)**

The great, shaggy Grizzly usually moves with a low, clumsy walk, but it can run as fast as a horse. Grizzly cubs can climb, but they lose their climbing ability during their first year. The Grizzly Bear feeds on many kinds of plant material, including roots, sprouts, leaves, berries, and mushrooms, as well as on fish, insects, and mammals. In winter, Grizzlies put on a layer of fat, as much as 400 pounds worth, and den up in a protected spot. Not true hibernators, they are easily awakened.  
**Look For: **A large brown bear usually with white-tipped hairs.

**Length: **Body 6-7' long.  
**Habitat: **Mountain meadows and forests; along streams and rivers (especially those with salmon runs); berry bushes or willow thickets. Avoid these habitats in bear country.  
**Range: **Alaska and Canada south to Wyoming in Rocky Mts.

(Source: Yahooligans)


	15. A Kingly Crown To Gain

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 15 – A Kingly Crown to Gain**

Summary: In order to gain the trust of the bears – and unite the wolves, Naruto must find the last remaining member of the wolves' Golden Moon Clan, and bring him home to test his courage. But first, he must meet Lord Yama, chief of the ferrets, and find Itachi to figure out where Moon Gazer might be.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will learn as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

Don't call me a zero  
I'm gonna be a hero  
Like Phil Esposito or the Kennedys  
I'll be incorporated  
And I'll be imitated  
And overrated, but that doesn't bother me  
All the jaws will drop  
And all the girls will scream  
And there will be commotion when I show up on the scene  
All that you will see is a celebrity

-Barenaked Ladies, "Celebrity"

          [Hmm. Pretty young for a Speaker. He worth the title?]

          As things turned out, it had been fairly easy to reach the mountain lair of the ferret chief, who was now looking up at Naruto with a pair of half-lidded eyes. The spiky-haired boy hoped it was because Lord Yama was still sleepy and not out of distrust, as it had been with Lady Sunflower.

          The Ebon Shadow nodded, perhaps more confident than his master because he knew the ferret better.

          [You have my word, Lord Yama. He is ready for the task.]

          The ferret combed its whiskers lazily with its paws, Naruto's instincts deciphering the movement as a yawn. Like all of the chiefs he had seen so far, Lord Yama was twice the size of his normal subjects, although he was taller rather than longer, as Lady Sunflower had been. The ferret chief also boasted a sleek coat of pure white fur, which the Ebon Shadow had told him was the mark of the ferrets' ruling family.

          [You're the know-it-all. I'll take your word for it. Hail to the chief, and all that. So whatcha doin' up here? Bears get on your case when ya tried to give 'em the Blessing?]

          Naruto gaped down at the furry animal, stunned at the ferret's knowledge.

          "You already know about that?"

          [Nah, common sense. They've been getting their asses kicked pretty bad. A new Speaker's only gonna make 'em complain harder about havin' to fight the wolf Clans. Me, I say they wouldn't have so many problems if they'd just learn to loosen up already.]

          "Well, that's their problem. My problem is I gotta find the wolves a leader, and I was hopin' to find a pal of mine to maybe see if he's heard the rumors about an oasis in the desert. You know a kid ferret called Itachi?"

          [Sounds familiar. The half-breed, Rooster's kid?]

          "Yeah, that's him. You know where he lives, don't you?"

          [Not a clue.]

          Naruto picked himself and the Ebon Shadow off the ground from where they'd facefaulted before he responded.

          "You're the chief! Shouldn't you have to know that stuff?"

          Lord Yama shrugged, managing to look cute and nonchalant at the same time.

          [Ain't my fault his pop's too lazy to bring the little punk up here and gimme the details. Relax, Speaker. I gotcha covered. Rooster's probably out chasin' a chicken dinner by now, but his brother should still be home. He'll know where your boy is.]

          "His brother? You mean Itachi's Uncle Sushi?"

          [Yup. Sushi's got scavenging down to a science, but he has to wait until the dinner rush for the big score. Sun ain't set yet, so he'll be under the sushi place snoozin' until dusk. Come on, I'll take ya there.]

          "Take me there? I figured you'd just send me down and go off to eat."

          Lord Yama snorted, scampering up Naruto's legs and onto his shoulder, where he curled around the young Speaker's neck, only slightly heavier a burden than Itachi usually was.

          [Why do that when I can get in good with the Speaker _and_ get a bite to eat at the same time?]

          Naruto pondered the thought for a moment until he caught the ferret's meaning. 

          "I know you didn't just say I gotta buy dinner for you, Lord Yama." 

          [Come on, what's the point of bein' such a big shot if ya can't treat your buddies to a meal once in a while? I don't eat much – well, not for a Human, anyhow.]

          Naruto shrugged and turned back towards the village, looking up as the Ebon Shadow rose into the air to follow.

          "You know, you only said I had to handle the big problems, not break the bank buyin' meals for every hungry animal in the Konoha Forest."

          The raven was still laughing when they reached the foot of the mountain.

* * *

          [Oi, Sushi! Get out here. The new Speaker's gotta find that half-breed nephew of yours.]

          [What'd he do this time, Boss?]

          Naruto listened intently, and barely made out the second, faint animal voice over the racket coming from the Niko Sushi restaurant. He was rather distracted at the moment, as Niko Sushi, coincidentally enough, sat right across the street from the familiar curtain of the Ichiraku ramen stand. Between the chatter of customers at both restaurants, the growling of his stomach, and Lord Yama shouting in his ear, it was kind of difficult to hear anything at all.

          The ferret chief sounded amused with that response.

          [What, is there something I should know about?] 

          Sushi's reply surprised none of them.

          [Eh, ask Rooster. It's his kid.]

          Naruto had an easier time hearing that, as he saw a furry black-and-white shape emerge from underneath the Niko Sushi building. Itachi's Uncle Sushi had, it appeared, finally roused himself. Lord Yama greeted him with a chuckle.

          [Ah, he didn't do nothin'. I'm just messing with you. Speaker wants to ask him about some rumors goin' round the forest. Where's the kid live?]

          [That all you wanted to know? Check that flower shop down on Tsuruoka Street. I seen him messin' around with some Human girls in that neighborhood, gettin' fed and cuddled. So when I ask him about it, he says he hangs out there 'cause Human girls are always comin' in and out to buy flowers. It's the perfect place for him to score treats and stuff.]

          Naruto shook his head disgustedly.

          "First a perverted sensei, and now a perverted sidekick. People are gonna start thinking it's rubbing off on _me_!"

          For the second time that day, several animals had a good laugh at the blonde boy's expense.

* * *

          "Itachi! Get your furry, perverted butt out here! Your little vacation's over."

          Yamanaka Ino blinked briefly as she heard Naruto's yell come through her window, on the second floor of the flower shop. Who was the hyperactive boy talking to? Nobody named Itachi lived at _her _house. Just as she was about to ignore it, Naruto shouted again. This time, the sound was even closer, which meant he was definitely talking to someone inside.

          "Itachi, I know you're in there! Your Uncle Sushi told us where you live, so get out here already! I ain't got all *#&!#@$ day!"

          A large sweatdrop formed on the back of the blonde kunoichi's head. _Uncle Sushi?_

          Naruto was really confusing her now. And if there was one thing Ino wasn't in the mood for, being out of the Chuunin Exam and ticked at Shikamaru, it was having a loudmouthed blonde Genin yelling stuff through her window that didn't make sense. Storming over to the window, she threw it open and leaned out into the street with a yell of her own.

          "Would you shut up already, Naruto? There's nobody named Itachi in my family, and I certainly don't have an Uncle Sushi! Go annoy someone else!"

          "Who said anything about your family? I ain't talking to someone _in_ the building, I'm talking to someone _under_ it."

          _Under_ the building? Another sweatdrop joined the one already on the back of Ino's head. Just as she was about to yell at him again, the blonde girl looked down – and did a double take. Beside Naruto stood a gigantic raven; a white ferret bigger than any she'd ever seen was perched on his left shoulder. And down by the rose bushes her mother had planted in front of the flower shop, a smaller gray ferret had emerged, swiftly racing up onto Naruto's right shoulder.

          "Took you long enough. What were you doing, taking a dump?"

          [Hey, I'm not a morning ferret. I'm not even an afternoon ferret! You wake me up from a sound sleep, how fast do you think I'm gonna be moving?]

          [Faster than that, next time your Speaker's got a job for you. Got it, brat?]

          The younger ferret did his own double take when he heard his chief speak.

          [B-B-B-B-Boss? What're you doin' here?]

          [Missin' out on valuable eatin' time because your punk ass was sleeping in. What else?]

          "Okay, Lord Yama, leave him alone. Ain't his fault I never asked him where he lived. Now that I know, I won't need to drag you away from the mountain to find him anymore…and I won't have to buy you dinner either."

          [Psh. Where's the fun in that?]

          Ino watched in growing puzzlement, having only heard what Naruto was saying. What was he doing with two giant animals accompanying him, and why was the boy acting like he was having a _conversation_ with them?

          "Did all those punches from Sakura finally scramble your brain? What is this, Naruto's Wild Kingdom? You can talk to the birdies now?"

          Naruto looked up at her and snorted.

          "Just birds? What do I look like, Shino or Kiba? I'm friggin' multilingual!"

          _THAT wasn't what I figured he'd say_. Yamanaka Ino often thought she had been named wrong, and not just because Sakura called her a pig all the time. It was more because she really liked cats. Certainly her curiosity, like a feline's, was now _really_ getting ahold of her. 

          "You're serious about this. You can talk to them?"

          Now Naruto was just being sarcastic.

          "No, I like to hear the sound of my voice. Of course I can talk to them! Whaddaya think I am, crazy?"

          "Well, you _look_ crazy!" 

          "WHAT!?"

          "Who else would go around with a bunch of gigantic animals and have conversations with them in broad daylight?"

          Naruto turned his head slightly as Lord Yama's voice intruded on his argument with Ino.

          [She's got you there, kid.]

          "Would you stay out of this? You're not helping!"

          "There, Naruto! You see what I mean? The ferret didn't even say anything!"

          Naruto threw his hands up in exasperation.

          "_THAT'S BECAUSE YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE'S SAYING!_ Geez, this is getting me nowhere."

          Lord Yama's ears perked up at that.

          [Really? Good, then we can go eat. I'm starving.]

          Naruto clapped a hand to his forehead.

          "Is your stomach the only thing you can think about? Someone thinks I'm a nutcase here!"

          [So explain it to her! Worst that could happen is she thinks you're a loon, which she already does.]

          Silent so far, the Ebon Shadow contributed some advice of its own.

          [Lord Yama may be on to something. Why not ask her to let you explain the situation in detail?]

          "Is that even allowed?"

          The raven flapped its wings, its version of a shrug, and replied with the faintest hint of a smirk in its voice.

          [I think we can make an exception here, to keep you from being committed to an asylum.]

          The spiky-haired boy rolled his eyes.

          "Oh, funny. You're a real comedian. But I ain't got any better ideas…why not?" 

* * *

          "I still can't believe I'm doing this."

          Naruto glanced over to where Ino was walking beside him on the way to Setsuna's restaurant.

          "Come on, even if ya don't believe me, why pass up a free meal?"

          The kunoichi bristled at that.

          "What do I look like, a beggar? I can get free meals at home!"

          "Yeah, but can you get free meals of Grade A ramen? Trust me, my aunt's restaurant has a great cook. He sucks at playing cards, but he can cook like nobody's business." 

          Ino couldn't help but smile at that. _Only Naruto would consider ramen to be gourmet cuisine._ But something he had said just now was still bothering her.

          "You say you have an Advanced Bloodline, and that's how you can talk to animals. But which parent did you get it from? I've never even heard of a clan that can do that."

          _Careful, Naruto. Don't want to disobey Dad's orders and spout off that you're the son of a Hokage._ Naruto hated to lie, especially now that he was trying to convince Ino he wasn't crazy, but his father's words had been clear – he was not to just tell people who and what he was for merely personal reasons. Without being able to talk to Arashi, he couldn't figure out if talking to the blonde girl counted as personal. Why bother taking the risk of angering his father? 

          "Well," he began, scratching his head, "that's the weird part. I've never known who my parents were, and nobody wants to tell me when I ask. All it takes to activate my bloodline limit is the user's belief that the wild animals in the forest aren't just mindless creatures, but living, thinking, feeling beings. So I'm sitting there in the forest a little while back, and I started to wonder what it'd be like if all that birdsong was really birds tryin' to tell each other something like we do. Before I know it, I'm hearing voices instead of chirping, and now I got the problems of an entire forest firmly planted on my shoulders." 

          Ino looked skeptical, as he'd figured. 

          "Even assuming I believe that, why wouldn't the animals have told you at least which side of your family gave you the Bloodline Limit, so you could research it yourself?"

          "Wild animals don't see much to like about humans, Ino. I'll leave you to figure out why, but it means they don't take much stock in remembering our names. Their memories are more focused on what's going on in their world. It didn't exactly help that most of the animals that knew my parents personally are dead. I asked all I could, but I could only get vague physical descriptions. And if the people in the village weren't gonna answer me when I asked about names, they sure as hell ain't gonna help me with matching a name to a vague face."

          "Why not? Isn't it a valid question? You couldn't even ask Hokage-sama?"

          "I've tried," Naruto sighed, "but even _he_ always says he's too busy."

          Which was technically true – Naruto had discovered who his parents were directly from Arashi, and the Third had simply admitted it. Every other time before, like when he was in the Hokage's office for some prank or fight, the old shinobi had stonewalled him. _That_, at least, had been understandable. Arashi had asked the Third not to tell anybody, least of all Naruto. The reactions he got from the rest of the village were less clear, and Naruto figured he'd better let Ino know about it.

          "Don't ask me about the village either. I never killed anybody, or did anything some paint or glue couldn't fix, but people seem to hate me anyway. It's like there's some kind of conspiracy to shut me out of everything."

          Ino knew that much. Naruto had been an outcast well before their days at the Academy. When other children were having playdates in preschool, he had always been on his own. But there was a difference between not knowing who your parents were and being able to talk to animals all of a sudden.

          "I still say you're going to have to do better than some weird 'I just believe' explanation to make me think you're not a lunatic."

          Naruto made a noise that was halfway between a growl and a snarl.

          "Oh, forget it. I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat, and then I'll start over from the beginning. Maybe repeating it'll get you to change your mind."

* * *

          Slinger Ozaki made a face as Naruto stepped into Setsuna's restaurant.

          "Come to collect on that poker game, kid?"

          Naruto just grinned. He hadn't known his aunt's former boss or her fellow waitress Miki for long, but hanging around them since Setsuna had arrived had given him three times the family he'd had before. He enjoyed their company – when Slinger wasn't pestering him about ninjutsu or trying to win a bet.

          "Sure, unless you feel like you wanna go for double or nothing, old man."

          A feral grin spread over Slinger's face, and the broad-shouldered cook produced a deck of cards from one of his apron pockets. 

          "Is that so? Okay, here's the rules. Seven card stud, deuces and jokers wild..."

          The frizzy-haired waitress sighed as she saw her former boss getting ready to go further into debt. 

          "Slinger! Don't you think you're already in a deep enough hole?"

          "Come on, that was beginner's luck. He can't beat the master card shark twice in a row!"

          Shinobi and chef sat down at the first open table and cards began to fly. It took all of ten minutes for their impromptu game to end.

          "So let's see. That's twenty bowls of ramen, the scroll about Stone Village jutsus, ten new kunai and the deed to your apartment you owe me, on top of the five bowls of ramen I came to collect on."

          "Prove it!"

          "Hey, you're the one with the rules card. Straight flush beats a full house!"

          "Naruto, dear, couldn't you take a little pity on him? You know how Slinger is at poker."

          Naruto shrugged, looking up to see a pleading expression on Miki's face. The red-haired woman reminded him of a cross between the Hinata of old and the one that had emerged during the preliminary matches, and she was much easier to get along with than either Slinger _or_ Setsuna. _Oh, why not?  _

          "Fine, he can keep the kunai and the apartment. I already got a house."

          Behind Naruto, Slinger, and Miki, four equal-sized sweatdrops rolled down the heads of a kunoichi, two ferrets and a raven.

          Slinger wore a distinctly sour expression as he and Miki brought out five large bowls of ramen to Naruto's table, which the blonde boy noticed.

          "Slinger, I kicked your butt fair and square. You better not have spit in the ramen or something."

          Miki giggled, and the cook grumbled something unintelligible.

          "Honestly, Naruto. You know I wouldn't let him do that."

          "I know _you_ wouldn't, Aunt Miki. Sore Loser Man behind you is a different story."

          The Ebon Shadow looked over at the steaming bowls laid out on the table, and hopped off the table.

          [It looks clean, at any rate. I'll be off now for my meal, Speaker.]

          "You ain't staying to eat?"

          [Unfortunately, I cannot eat Human food like Lord Yama and Itachi can. I will be waiting for you at the Uzumaki house when you have finished.]

          "Suit yourself, Shadow. This is good stuff."

          [I'm sure it is. Nevertheless, my taste runs more to carrion.]

          "Well, everybody's got their quirks. See you on the way back out."

          The raven hopped over to an open window, spread its wings, and flew out of the restaurant.

          Ino's curiosity perked up again (it helped that she was already done with her ramen).

          "Way back out? Where are you supposed to be going?"

          "Actually," Naruto muttered, pointing to Itachi, who he had handed a bowl of ramen to, "that's where Lazybones here was supposed to help me out. I'm lookin' for an oasis near the Wind Country border, to resolve one of those forest problems I told you about. Only problem is, there ain't any detailed area maps, so I got no idea where I'm supposed to go. Figured if anyone would know about a rumor in the forest, a ferret would." 

          "Is that all you need to know? _I_ could tell you that much!"

          Naruto, chopsticks halfway to his mouth, stopped dead in his tracks, joined by both of the ferrets.

          "Are you serious? You know how to get to the oasis?"

          The kunoichi muttered a few curses under her breath. She knew how to get there, all right. Each and every step of the six miles it took each way to travel there from her house. For some odd reason, Yamanaka Inoshi believed meditation in that godforsaken place actually helped the Shintenshin work better. And if there was one thing Ino's father was strict about, it was improving the family jutsu.

          "If you go six miles straight northeast from my house, you'll hit it eventually. My dad always makes us go out there to meditate, you know, because of the Shintenshin."

          "Yeah. Your Bloodline Limit, right? Plus you got that funky move you busted out against Sakura. Whatcha call that again, the Dream Weaver?"

          Ino wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that Naruto knew her family's ability, or the fact that he still remembered the techniques of someone not in his team. Before she could say anything, the blonde boy continued to talk.

          "I gotta say, that was pretty cool. You nearly had her broken down into a quivering mush and you barely had to lift a finger."

          _Why would he say that about his own teammate? I thought Naruto was in love with her!_

          "Should you be saying that about Sakura? I mean, you're on the same team. Why would you compliment me instead of her?"

          Naruto shook his head.

          "Who said I was on her team anymore?"

          "Now you're making even less sense than before."

          "How plain do I have to make it? I quit Team 7, and resigned from Kakashi-sensei's command, effective the day after the preliminary matches."

          Ino's jaw would have dropped all the way down to the table if that had been physically possible. 

          "How is that possible? You can't just up and change teams. Genin don't have that right."

          "True. But when I pass the Chuunin Exam, I ain't gotta worry about that, do I?"

          "And what if you don't pass?"

          Naruto shrugged.

          "Hokage-sama said he'd look into placing me with a team that someone got promoted out of, but worst case, I go back with Sasuke and Sakura. Still, it ain't like I'm gonna worry about that. I'm workin' my ass off during this break, and I'm gonna pass. I have to."

          This was certainly a change from the way she'd seen him act in the forest. Why would he suddenly want to get away from his teammates so much?

          "Is it really _that_ important?"

          For once, the hyper Genin actually looked serious, catching Ino's attention.

          "Yeah, I'd say so."

          "Why? You've got a great team! You guys can handle just about anything."

          "You're right and you're wrong. We _can_ handle a lot, but we're no team. Sakura's fixated on Sasuke, Sasuke doesn't take notice of anybody, and I ain't too fond of either of them. We just look like a team because me and Sasuke wind up having to pull Sakura's butt out of trouble so often. That's no way to work, Ino. If the three of us are gonna grow and become stronger, being kept together is only gonna slow us down. We don't have enough in common to make it work right, so someone has to go. Just happens that I was the first one to have the idea."

          Ino shrugged, and as she did, her eyes drifted over to where Lord Yama and Itachi were both chowing down on their ramen. Were the animals the reason why Naruto was acting so strangely? The kunoichi resolved to find out what was going on.

          "You still haven't convinced me you're not nuts, Naruto. Who would be crazy enough to leave their team just on a whim, except someone who thinks he can talk to animals?"

          Naruto stacked his second bowl of ramen inside the empty bowl that he'd just polished off, shrugging his shoulders.

          "What else am I supposed to do, tell 'em all to line up and do a dance for you? Is it so hard to believe a Bloodline Limit could give somebody this ability? It ain't like I got something to gain by makin' people think I'm nuts."

          Too busy arguing, Naruto and Ino failed to notice Itachi finishing up his ramen and slipping underneath the table. All too soon, however, Naruto heard the ferret's voice through the wood.

          [Hey, Naruto! Tell her pink panties are out of style. All the girls in the village switched to white ones months ago.]

          Ino looked up in surprise as the blonde boy spit out an entire mouthful of soup.

          "Are you nuts, Itachi? I'm not gonna tell her that!"

          "Tell me what? What did he say?"

          Naruto hemmed and hawed before answering tentatively. 

          "You don't want to know."

          Ino's response was dripping with sarcasm.

          "Oh, I get it. Trying to cover your ass, huh?"

          "I'm warning you, you WON'T like it."

          She really wasn't in the mood to be played with like some blonde bimbo (which she wasn't, no matter how many times Sakura said it).

          "Oh, come on! Prove it already or let me go home!"

          Naruto sighed, and mumbled something quickly.

          "Hesdyrwrngpnkpntes."

          "What did you say!? I couldn't hear you."

          "HE SAID YOU'RE WEARING PINK PANTIES, ALL RIGHT?"

          Ino's only reaction was to blink her wide, stunned eyes several times, and then calmly pick up her empty bowl, which soon bounced off Naruto's forehead with an audible _thwack_.

          Looking on, Miki winced, and Slinger chuckled.

          "Now I'm _really_ glad we got plastic stuff instead of porcelain."

          "Hey, I SAID you weren't gonna like it! Whatcha chucking a bowl at me for?"

          "First you come to my house acting like a crazed maniac, and now you're telling your pet to peek up my skirt! Forget crazy, you're just a pervert!"

          It was Naruto's turn to bristle now. Standing up, he slammed his hands down onto the table, palms down, a loud _crack_ echoing through the room.

          "You've been sitting here the entire time! I'm not a damn psychic! If I'd told him to go down there, you woulda heard me say it!

          "You know what? Forget it. Why should I have to explain any of this to you or anyone else? Nobody in this village cares what I think, or what I've done. All I am to you people is a demon, a pervert, or just plain crazy! No matter what I do, everyone finds another reason to hate me! Think whatever you want, Ino, but I'm not gonna be around to hear it. I've got better things to do with my time. Have a nice life."

          Before she could say anything, Naruto had wheeled about on one heel and vanished, the ferrets scampering along behind him. 

          Ino sat there for a while, not moving, thinking about the situation over again. The more she reviewed what Naruto had said, the more something came back to her. _The wild animals in the forest aren't just mindless creatures, but living, thinking, feeling beings_. Anything like that would have a mind of its own by nature, just like a human. Had the ferret really gone down there on its own, like Naruto had said? If it had, she owed the other Genin an apology – and maybe (just maybe) her belief. 

          "You know, dear, Naruto sounded angry, but I think he was really more unhappy than anything else. He doesn't have many friends, you know."

          Ino turned to see Miki, holding a tray and clearing the empty bowls off the table.

          "But we're…not friends. Just acquaintances, really."

          The waitress sighed, shaking her head.

          "That's a shame. I haven't known Naruto very long, but if he's anything like his aunt, he's a good boy – even if he doesn't always look like it. He's nice to _me_, anyway. You really should try to trust him, at least, even if the two of you don't become friends. I think that would help him."

          Miki looked over at Slinger for a little support. After some hesitation, the cook chimed in.

          "Eh, she's right. The kid's a hyper little punk, and he probably cheats at cards, but he doesn't complain when I bug him about jutsus and crap a no-talent slag like me won't ever learn. Hell, he tries to help me get it anyway. A lot of people could stand to learn from him." 

          Yamanaka Ino looked down at where her bowl had been sitting. Was she one of those people?

* * *

          The Ebon Shadow looked up from its perch on the Uzumakis' roof as Naruto leapt down from the trees, Itachi on his shoulder.

          The young Speaker hefted the bag of survival gear that was on his back and nodded up at his avian friend.

          "Let's get going."

          Hearing the curt tone in Naruto's voice, the raven guessed what had happened.

          [I take it the Human girl still does not believe you?]

          "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just head out and find Moon Gazer. That, at least, I can handle."

          Even the bird knew when to back off and let things simmer down.

          [Then let us be off.]

          "I'll say this much for Ino. She's narrow-minded, but she gives great directions." 

          Naruto, Itachi and the Ebon Shadow had been on the move for some time, hampered by the lack of trees to jump off, like in the forest. With Naruto's foul mood not improved by the journey, the last few hours had been spent mostly in silence.  Now, as a stand of palm trees loomed before them, the young Leaf-nin had finally spoken.

          [Indeed. I can see moonlight shining off the water. If Moon Gazer really is still alive, we are getting close.]

          [Finally! A ferret could die of thirst out here.]

          "Come on, Itachi. It's the middle of the night. You want to bitch about thirst out here, do it at noon."

          As boy, raven and ferret began to continue forward, a voice rang out in the darkness.

          [Halt, if you value your lives!]

          Not one to be challenged in his duties, the raven chief snapped back a response.

          [Who dares challenge the presence of the Mother's Chosen? Speak your name and state your business, or else be gone!]

          Naruto grinned, fishing a lighter, some rags and a tree branch from the bag he was dragging behind him, now full of gear and firewood.

          "Temper, temper, Shadow. Ain't like Moon Gazer needs more incentive to head for the hills."

          Wrapping the rag around the branch, Naruto lit his makeshift torch, revealing a wolf standing at the edge of the water. Just as he was about to greet the animal, the Ebon Shadow spoke softly.

          [Do not be hasty, Speaker. That is not Moon Gazer.]

          "What? I thought he was the one they were all talking about."

          [Moon Gazer was male. That wolf is female.]

          The wolf that had spoken bowed its head and spoke again, this time in a softer voice.

          [If you have come for my mate, you will not find him.]

          Naruto and the Ebon Shadow glanced at each other before the Speaker responded.

          "Your mate? I thought Moon Gazer was disgraced and in exile. Where is he if we can't find him here?"

          [You will not find him anywhere. He has been gone from this world for three years.]

          "He's _dead_!? Well, that's just flipping great. Blood Claw's gonna be pissed."

          [Blood Claw? What would the Lord of the Crimson Moon want with Moon Gazer? He is the reason that we came here, and not the mountains or forest.]

          [A question first, if I may. We were under the impression that none of the Golden Moon's family or retainers had followed Moon Gazer into exile. Who exactly are you?]

          The female wolf, her coat a blend of black and gray, lay down by the water's edge and looked up at the moon.

          [I am the mate of Moon Gazer, the true Lord of the Forest. Among the tribe, I was known as Swift Wind.]

          When the Ebon Shadow spoke again, it was in a hushed, stunned tone.

          [It seems we are in the presence of two ghosts tonight. Your father reported you as dead, my lady.]

          Swift Wind's retort oozed sarcasm and hinted at bitter memories.

          [How else would he deal with a daughter's rebellion? The mighty Shadow Chaser, Lord of the Hidden Fang Clan, who would rather have seen me dead than with Moon Gazer after his fall?]

          "So that's it? The Golden Moon Clan is finished?" 

          For someone who had delivered such bad news, Swift Wind sounded oddly calm when she answered.

          [Hardly. The Clan is as strong as it ever was.]

          Naruto snorted.

          "Yeah, sure. We're gonna end anarchy among every Clan in the tribe with a ghost who tucked his tail between his legs to save his ass."

          [You can't talk about my father that way! Take it back, Human!]

          A smaller wolf emerged from the shadow of the trees, standing beside Swift Wind, teeth bared in feral rage. The Ebon Shadow chuckled.

          [So the Clan does live after all. Moon Gazer's son, I assume? What shall we call him?]

          [I named him Deathstrike, so that he would remember his duty.] 

          Naruto scratched his head at that.

          "Come again?"

          [To strike down the shame of the Golden Moon Clan, and restore the honor of his ancestors.]

          [Fitting, considering the circumstances. My lady, there is no time to tarry. Would you allow your son to take his father's place in what we had come to request of him?]

          Swift Wind raised her head and looked directly at Naruto.

          [If the Chosen so wishes, let him ask it of my son. Deathstrike is old enough to make his own decisions.]

          Naruto glanced over at the young wolf, still snarling at him although Swift Wind had subtly placed herself between boy and cub. 

          "Seems we've got a problem here, Deathstrike. You want me to stop saying your father was a coward, but the truth is the truth. I could no more lie to you than I could any of the tribal chiefs. If you want to change what's comin' out of my mouth, you're going to have to do it yourself. I'm not the one you need to be growling at. Save it for the Clans." 

          [What would you know about it? My father was always ready to help the animals at this oasis! He was no coward!]

          "To you, maybe not. You never saw that side of him, and your mother hasn't had reason to tell you differently. But think about it. Would you be out here if the Clans hadn't had a good reason to want him gone? Bravery without logic or smarts is useless even to a wolf, I think."

          [All I know is what I've heard, Human! You wouldn't understand; you probably have a father who can tell you things and help you train and everything.]

          "Don't be so sure, cub."

          [What do you mean?]

          Naruto rose slowly, pulling more wood out of his bag and laying it in a small circle, piling rocks around the outside. After the circle was complete, the Genin lit the improvised campfire with his torch. In the light of the dancing flames, Deathstrike could see the odd expression on the human's face.

          "Ask your mother. Ask her what happened to my mother the day your father turned tail and ran. Ask her what became of my father. Then, if you still have the gall to tell me Moon Gazer was no coward, I'll have nothing more to say, because you're a lost cause."

          [Mother…?]

          Swift Wind bowed her head, looking out over the water.

          [Twelve years past, Haruka-sama and the Fourth Hokage died to save both the Humans and the forest from the Ninetailed Demon Fox. The Chosen has never known either of his parents.]

          "Moon Gazer was your father. You want him to be a hero, a good guy. I get it, believe me. But you can't just try to invent things that aren't true, Deathstrike.  Everyone's got stuff they ain't proud of. If you just ignore that, you're twisting that person into whatever you want them to be. That's no way to honor someone's memory, least of all your own father."

          Naruto grinned up at the sky before continuing.

          "You show me someone who's 'perfect,' and I'll show you a jackass who won't admit to his own faults."

          Not ten miles away, atop a cliff in the same desert, Uchiha Sasuke sneezed.

          [So what do you want me to do?]

          "It's not really me, cub. It's the other tribes that need you to step up. Every time I talk to a wolf, I hear you talking about being the rightful rulers of the forest. Well, let me tell you, your people are doing a lousy-ass job of ruling. Tribes are being hunted to extinction, living in fear, getting ready to unite against the wolves. You can stop it. Your mom's already told you how. The question is, how badly do you want it? Do you want to redeem your dad?"

          [Do you even have to ask?]

          "No, I guess not. Can you fight, cub? I guarantee you the Clans ain't gonna take anyone from the Golden Moon back without a battle."

          Swift Wind sighed.

          [I have taught him what I could, but I am not the fighter my mate was. Truthfully, I fear for my son's safety.]

          Naruto thought about it, and then turned to the raven that sat by the fire.

          "Shadow, I need you to head into the forest and find Blood Claw. Explain the situation to him, and do what you can to get him out here. If he was really serious about wanting to bring the Golden Moon back, there's no better time for him to prove it than right here, right now."

          [I suspect he will probably be more willing than if you had asked him to see Moon Gazer. What will you do in the meantime?]

          Naruto's only response was to form a hand seal.

          "Henge!"

          Immediately, a male wolf replaced the blonde boy, looking much like Blood Fang had in Arashi's memories.

          "Me? Hey, I don't know jack about wolf fighting, so the least I can do is give the kid a practice target. Just try and get back quick, will ya? I've got my own battles to train for, and there ain't much time left." 

          [I will do what I can.]

          Without another word, the raven leapt into the sky, great wings beating a path back towards the forest.

* * *

          "Are you sure three days of training is enough, Blood Claw? You said the proof of Moon Gazer's bravery was to defeat a Leader from every Clan. No way Deathstrike is ready for a challenge like that, even with your help."

          The old wolf shook his head, looking back behind Naruto to where the young wolf and his mother followed. 

          [If enough of my brothers are with me, I should be able to make the test somewhat easier than normal. The cub will still need to endure many things, but if he is a true scion of the Golden Moon Clan, he should prevail.]

          "It's your show. But understand that if he loses, I'll intervene to keep him from getting killed. The cub's had enough hardship in his life as it is, and Swift Wind too."

          [Agreed. If you will excuse me, then, I will go and speak to as many of the Clan Leaders as I can before the meeting begins.]

          "You do that."

          Naruto sat down on a fallen log as the old Clan Leader moved off into the forest. Looking over at Deathstrike, the Speaker grinned.

          "Well, you've got one last decision to make. Head back to the oasis, or stay here and wait for the Clan Leaders to arrive." 

          [I'm here, aren't I? You can stop trying to make me look like your image of my father.]

          Not usually serious, Naruto's grin disappeared. 

          "Just understand something. It's your life, cub. You want to improve your father's image, do it, but when it's over, let it go. The Golden Moon Clan is yours now, and you oughta run it how you see fit. Don't go trying to kill yourself makin' everyone else see your father the way you do. Rule 'em well enough, and their memories of him will change. They'll see him in you."

          [What about you? You were talking about your father all the time in the desert. It sounded like you wanted to be just like him.]

          "True. But I got an advantage, Deathstrike. The Clan Leaders look at you, and they can see what you are, what Clan you represent. Wish I could say the same for people in the village. Nobody there knows or cares who my father is. I got nothing to live up to but my own expectations. Hell of a lot easier, if you ask me." 

          [Oh, sure, rub it in.] 

          [Enough, Deathstrike. I can hear the Clan Leaders coming. You must be ready, and remember what Blood Claw taught you.]

          [Yeah. Kick ass and take names.]

          "Couldn't have said it better myself."

          Once all the formalities of a meeting among wolf Clan Leaders were out of the way, Blood Claw walked to the center of the circle the tribe had formed. 

          [We are gathered here on a momentous day. The Golden Moon Clan has returned to the tribe, ready to test its worth to lead us all. I ask that Lord Shadow Chaser speak for the tribe and announce what the test shall be.]

          A smaller, pitch-black wolf emerged from the circle, looking askance at Swift Wind, almost uncomfortably. Naruto noted the wolf's expression and grinned. _Didn't expect her to come back at all, and especially not as the mother of the potential tribal chief, did we? Blood Claw's got a knack for public humiliation._

          [As the one who _claims_ to be Golden Moon is but a child, he will not be required to prove his strength as an adult male wolf would. The strongest five Clans will put forth champions – the strongest son of their Leaders. The challenger will fight them all in turn, and if he manages to be victorious, he faces one final task. That will be revealed if and when the time comes – which I doubt.]

          Deathstrike laughed as his grandfather finished speaking.

          [Easy to talk down to someone you don't have to fight, isn't it, you toothless old weasel?]

          Shadow Chaser sneered at the younger wolf's insults.

          [Why they believe you are the hope of the tribe, I will never understand. One as uncouth, uncultured and foolish as you could never be a scion of the Golden Moon Clan. You are obviously the spawn of some mongrel dog my disgrace of a daughter lowered herself to be with in the desert.]

          [Hey, I didn't say anything about _your_ smarts. I wanted to spare your dignity. You had the chance to look like a hero to my mother and me. You chose to be a jackass instead. Don't blame me when I take that public.] 

          The Clan Leader stalked back to the edge of the circle without a word. A wolf about Deathstrike's size replaced him, howling a challenge.

          [I am Footpad, the son of Grim Prowler, Leader of the Shadow Stalker Clan. I have proved my worth in battle seventeen times with the hated bears…]

          Footpad's introduction was cut off as Deathstrike crouched slightly, adopting the battle stance Blood Claw had taught him.

          [Who gives a damn how many times you've been in battle with a bunch of bears? You've never fought _me_. That's all I know. So shut up with the boasting, come and back it up, or stop wasting my damn time.]

          Watching the two young wolves posture and preen, Naruto whispered an aside to Blood Claw.

          "Should he be so cocky right off the bat? Footpad's got way more experience and it's against larger and stronger opponents."

          The old wolf chuckled at the confused expression on the Speaker's face.

          [Hardly. When wolves fight bears, it is not one-on-one. Footpad _does_ have experience, but it is mostly with fighting as part of a group, not alone. As he is the son of a Clan Leader, I doubt he has actually had to face down a bear from the front yet. He will have been assigned to restrict the bear's mobility by slashing tendons in its limbs, or acting as a decoy at best.]

          "If you say so."

          [Have faith. Deathstrike is Golden Moon. The blood of our common ancestors, the great dire wolves of the ancient times, runs strongest within the Golden Moon Clan. They are stronger, faster, and have more stamina than any other Clan, even at Deathstrike's age. He will prevail, even if he only knows the basics of what I will eventually teach him.]

          "Well, that's why I called you in on this. Let's see what he does with it."

          [Indeed.]

          [You call a fight where one risks his life irrelevant?]

          [Yeah, when the one who's spewing hot air about it couldn't have possibly taken out seventeen bears all by his lonesome. Stop making yourself sound like such a badass when all you've been doing is helping course the bear. I could kick your tail right now, and even _I'm_ not dumb enough to think I can take a bear or do anything useful against it to "prove my worth."]

          [I have had enough of this insolence! You will fall before me!]

          Deathstrike yawned and grinned at his opponent.

          [Promises, promises. Bring it on.]

          Blood Claw smiled as Footpad charged, Deathstrike doing the same. _He has grasped the basics of combat without my teachings. Unnerve your foe, and you will be victorious. Brother Blood Fang, your skills have bred true after all. Too bad they skipped a generation_. 

          Within seconds, the two wolves had met, Footpad coming away with a nice, parallel set of claw marks on his right flank.

          [Well, you can run. But can you fight? You'll never take out a bear coming head-on at him, moron.]

          The smaller wolf's only answer was a howl of rage and another charge.

          [Tried the nice approach, but I guess it's lost on you. You're just gonna have to go down!]

          Footpad's second charge was stopped cold as Deathstrike slipped underneath his enraged foe, and slammed his front paws upwards, catching his opponent on the chin, and knocking him down. Deathstrike turned to Blood Claw, a hint of a gleam in his eye – the bloodlust that was in the soul of every dire wolf.

          [Say the word and he's dead. You never said whether or not this was a lethal combat, Teacher.]

          Blood Claw nodded.

          [Lord Shadow Chaser did not finish his description. These fights are not to be to the death. You have beaten him; leave it at that. The next challenger will come forward!]

          Deathstrike spared his next foe the insults he'd peppered Footpad with. This one said nothing and walked up slowly, sizing up the Golden Moon scion. 

          [You have nothing to revile me with?]

          [I save taunts for the ones they'll work on. The last one was a dimwit. You walk like Blood Claw. Like someone who's seen real battle.]

          [Of course.]

          [Got a name, tough guy?]

          [Red Shadow. Eldest son of Blood Claw, Leader of the Crimson Moon Clan. I do not need to boast of my accomplishments as Footpad did. You will see for yourself.] 

          [Lookin' forward to it. Teacher ain't given me much to work with, but it'll have to do!]

          Both wolves surged forwards, Red Shadow easily stepping aside from Deathstrike's opening claw swipe, leaving claw marks of his own on the challenger's flank as he'd done to Footpad. 

          [Do not simply parrot what my father has taught you. I know all of that. Be original, and not just aggressive.]

          Deathstrike grinned through the fire that was burning his left side, claw slashes gleaming with his blood in the sunlight.

          [Are you an examiner or a tutor?]

          [Both. My father wishes for you to end the chaos, so I will help you grow. But I will not let you have what you want unless you prove that you are more than a mere courageous brute. Come. Show me why the Golden Moon is supposed to be strongest among us.]

          [Gladly.]

          _Vary techniques. Don't just come at him with something he knows…or, do that, and change just as he reacts!_

          Charging as he had against Footpad, Deathstrike watched as Red Shadow crouched to leap aside – and jumped upwards instead. Spinning in midair, he caught his opponent in the same spot as Red Shadow had marked him, landing in the same ready stance.

          Blood Claw's son nodded, not seeming to notice the shallower scars on his side, as befitted a veteran fighter.

          [You learn quickly, but can you continue to grow?]

          Deathstrike laughed, a howl of mirth bursting forth.

          [We'll see! Come on, I ain't through with you yet!]

* * *

          Naruto watched as the fighting continued, Deathstrike finally getting Red Shadow to surrender after a spectacular front-rear combination slash that had laid open a huge stretch of the older wolf's back and right leg. The other three opponents had been even tougher, sons of Clan Leaders that had been older and more experienced than even Red Shadow. Somehow, what Blood Claw had predicted was coming true. Deathstrike was still on his feet, bleeding from every part of his body, but standing – barely. Looking over at Shadow Chaser, he gasped out a challenge.

          [Five down, old weasel. Please tell me you're the last test, so I can rip you apart. It'd be the perfect ending to a long day.]

          The old wolf snarled, the faintest hint of a sneer in his voice.

          [Me? I would sooner dine on a scavenger like that ferret than dirty my paws with your blood.]

          On Naruto's shoulder, Itachi stirred with an insult of his own.

          [Try it, Toothless Wonder! You couldn't catch me with an hour's head start!]

          The Speaker silenced his sidekick with a low hiss.

          [Stay out of this, Itachi. The rebel Clans would love any excuse to get us all out of their hair. We gotta let the cub do his thing. This is his fight, all the way.]

          Blood Claw stepped forward silently, until he stood face to face with his pupil of three days.

          [I agree. This bickering is useless. I will tell you what your final test is, Deathstrike.]

          [And that would be…?]

          [You will challenge me. Pass, and you prove your courage and bloodline to us all.]

          Naruto's eyes shot open, and he held Swift Wind back; the female wolf had tensed as if to spring forward and defend her son.

          "Hang on. Blood Claw was counting on this; he's one to follow his word. Something is being planned. Wait for it and trust him."

          [You ask me to trust the one who broke my mate's spirit and turned him into the wretched creature he became?]

          "He's not the same anymore. This is a guy who's so broken up about what he did and what happened to the forest that he thinks of nothing but dying. And right now, he's Deathstrike's only shot at getting out of this clearing alive. Trust that, not your memories."

          [Very well.]

          Deathstrike looked through a red film that was quickly crusting over his eyelids and clouding his vision. Whether it was his own blood or that of his opponents didn't matter now. It was down to one last fight, against a foe even stronger than Red Shadow and the others had been. _But what other choice is there?_ The thought of turning around and going back to the oasis had never crossed his mind. _Yeah, right. Be King of the Desert rather than Lord of the Forest? Some tradeoff. I'm not going back_. 

          [I don't know what your game is, Teacher, but if you think I'm going to become my father, then you have the wrong wolf.]

          [As you so eloquently put it to Footpad, cub, you should "bring it on." Talk is cheap.]

          What was the point? He couldn't win. Not even if he'd been in perfect condition, rather than beat up, bleeding and tired from taking out five wolves that had all been older than him. _But then…maybe that's the whole point._

          Something made him look over at Naruto, but the Human's face was inscrutable – no expression at all, other than a faint gleam of amusement in the Speaker's eyes. _What's so funny?_

          Then it hit him. _This is the tenth exam question – or at least it's Blood Claw's version of the tenth exam question Naruto mentioned in his life story. If I'm right, I may be able to win after all. If not…well, I knew what I was getting into when I accepted the challenge_.

          Naruto saw comprehension dawn on the young wolf's face and grinned. _Now try and come up with a suitably corny and stirring speech, and make the rebels see what you really are. Win them over, and you win your place as chief_. 

          [You think you can cow me into running away like my father? Moon Gazer isn't the only one I share my blood with. My grandfather was Blood Fang – Lord of the Forest. I've come to restore the glory that was his. And if Footpad, Red Shadow, the other punks and my weasel of a grandfather couldn't stop me, _neither will you!_ The Golden Moon Clan is mine. The tribe is mine! And bloody, beaten, or not, I will fight for it! So come on! Someone's going down, and it won't be me without a hell of a battle!]

          Gathering himself to charge, Deathstrike stopped cold when all but two of the Clan Leaders rolled over, presenting their throats upwards, laughing. All except for Shadow Chaser and Blood Claw, anyway. 

          [What's the meaning of this?]

          Naruto chuckled.

          "You need it written out for you, cub? To the victor goes the spoils, the respect and the power. You win. Your answer to the final exam question was correct, in a manner of speaking."

          Blood Claw nodded, smiling at his student.

          [The Chosen speaks wisely. It is one thing to face everyday battle and fight when you are at your peak, confidence and power at their youthful maximum. It is quite another to face the things that must be done, even if they cost you your life or something personally important, such as dignity. That is true courage, what is demanded from the Lords of the Forest. You have grasped what your father regrettably could not. I recognize the challenger's claim, and I recognize the Golden Moon Clan.]

          Shadow Chaser gritted his teeth and said the same, before wheeling and stalking out of the clearing, not followed by the rest of his Clan. All around the young wolf, the other Clan Leaders declared their recognition, each voice louder than the next.

          Naruto grinned over at Swift Wind, who had visibly relaxed.

          "Satisfied, my lady?"

          [Relieved is a better term. I had held out hope for this day all this time, but I think even I had given up by the time you and Lord Shadow arrived. Never have I been so glad to be proven wrong.]

          "We all have our bad times. Just makes the good times even sweeter, although I think your dad might not agree."

          [He is stubborn. But I know somewhere in his heart, he is proud of his grandson, even if he is also too proud to admit he was wrong to treat us as he did.]

          "He'll come around, if only to take some of the credit for giving the kid his genes."

          [I suppose so.]

          Naruto looked over at Blood Claw again, to see the old Clan Leader standing by Deathstrike's side, propping the exhausted cub up. 

          "Well, old warrior? Am I fit for my job title or not?"

          [Absolutely. You have my thanks, and those of the Clans, Chosen. We will accept the Blessing, and grant you our power and trust, as we did Haruka-sama, and Kotaro-sama before her.]

          "You? Isn't Deathstrike the chief?"

          [Aye, but the cub is young yet. A few of the older warriors will act as his Regents and tutors until he is truly ready to assume a leadership role. What is important for now is that he has restored the esteem of his Clan, and regained the respect of his subjects. The rest will come much more easily.]

          "That's the hope, anyhow. How do I give the Blessing?"

          [You already have, by uniting us. It varies from tribe to tribe, of course, but it basically boils down to whether the chief feels you have done something to benefit their people. I think you have long since done that.]

          Looking over at a group of grizzled old wolves his age, Blood Claw looked a question over to them, and each nodded in turn. _Now let me see if I remember what my brother said to Haruka-sama, once upon a time._

          [I am Blood Claw, and I represent the Wolves before the Mother. Her Chosen has come before us and Blessed us with his light and wisdom, the compassion in his heart and respect in his soul. This we accept with humblest thanks, and grant in return our power, and our champion. Henceforth we are at his command, willing servants and allies. Let the bond be made!]

          The gathered wolves howled their agreement, the forest ringing with sound. As they did so, Naruto felt a subtle tingling in his right arm, a little like heat being applied. Looking down at his arm, he saw something glowing on it, bright light shining from a patch of skin, suddenly flashing and resolving into a single character: Ookami. The Wolf. But before he could say or do anything, the character began to glow again, and suddenly the tingling became a burning sensation, feeling as though the fires of the sun itself were scorching his arm. The blonde boy dropped to one knee, holding his arm to his side.

* * *

          Halfway across the forest, the Ebon Shadow felt the huge power surge and smiled to himself.

          [Well done, Naruto. I accept the Blessing you bestowed when you accepted me as Lorekeeper. I am the Ebon Shadow, and I represent the Ravens before the Mother. Henceforth I am at the Chosen's command, willing servant and ally. Let the bond be made!]

* * *

          In his mountain home, even Lord Yama felt the power rising from the forest. The ferret chief burped, remembering what the young human had done for him. Feeding him and showing him respect, among other stuff, as very few Speakers had ever done for a smaller tribe like the ferrets. _I could get to like eating that ramen stuff. Why not?_

          [Naruto, I accept the Blessing you gave me when you fed me the bowl of ramen. I am Lord Yama, and I represent the Ferrets before the Mother. Henceforth I am at the Chosen's command, willing servant and ally. Let the bond be made!]

* * *

          Back in the clearing, Naruto stared at the ground, resolutely trying not to scream from the searing pain in his arm. His gaze was so intently fixed downwards that he failed to notice two more characters appearing on his right arm: Karasu (Raven) and Itachi (Weasel/Ferret).

          "What the hell's going on? This thing's killing me!"

          Blood Claw's voice was solemn, the weight of age evident in his tone.

          [It is a reminder, Chosen. To let you know that we are not simple tools, but living beings, which feel pain and die as you do. The pain is temporary, but your duty and ours is not. I implore you to remember that.]

          Naruto gritted his teeth, and forced out a word or two of his own. "I get it, old warrior. Just make sure the kid does too."

          Blood Claw inclined his battle-scarred head.

          [He that is the chief must know such things. I will teach him. As well, too, since he is our champion. When you summon the wolf, you will summon him.]

          "How do I do that?"

          [Produce some of your blood and put it on the mark of the tribal champion you wish to summon. Place the hand with the blood on it on the ground, and the champion will be summoned to your side. Then, depending on how much chakra you wish to expend, the champion will grow in stature. I have heard of some Chosen being able to get their champions to be up to fifty of your Human feet in height. Even then, because of the power the Mother gives you, the chakra expense is slight. So long as you use this power wisely to do your duty, the animals of this forest will never fail or overburden you.]

          "Do I have to say anything special?"

          [That I do not remember. It will likely come to you when you attempt to summon a champion. Do you wish to try?]

          "You even have to ask?"

          Naruto rose slowly, a fierce pride cutting through the pain in his limb. Biting his left thumb quickly, he blindly swiped his bloody digit over the spot where the mark of the wolves had appeared. As he did, something rushed into his mind – and he knew what to say.

          "As I do my duty, I call on the champion of the Wolves to do his! The battle is joined! Let the Mother's Child and Chosen fight as one! Ougi: Shizen Kuchiyose no Jutsu – Ookami (Secret Technique: Nature Summoning – Wolf)!"

          Deathstrike disappeared from beside Blood Claw, reappearing next to Naruto. The blonde Genin grinned savagely.

          "Time to grow up, cub. Let's show the world what we're made of."

          Pouring as much chakra as he could into the bond he felt between himself and Deathstrike, Naruto watched as the young wolf vanished again – to be replaced by a massive, sixty-foot tall version of himself.

          [Cool. I can see the oasis from here.]

          The Speaker laughed, any notion of pain vanishing as he looked at the legacy his mother had left him. _Today's a day for celebration, for continuing bloodlines. Damn if it ain't gonna be fun using mine._

          Around them, the assembled heads of the Clans raised their heads and howled - not the savage cries of rage that had lately shaken the forest, but a sound of joy and celebration, perhaps the signal that one Clan's honor - and the hope of the wolves - had been restored.

          [IT IS WELL!]

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know it's long. After a wait of almost a month, I figured you all deserved it. Thanks for all the reviews; keep them coming.

Next: As Naruto was preparing for his next fight, others have been doing the same as well. Sakura and Hinata must take their own steps towards strength, as Naruto comes in contact with something from his very distant past – and a legacy he had not dared to hope would exist.s


	16. Games People Play

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 16 – Games People Play**

Summary: Naruto brought unity back to the wolf tribe, and earned the first of his Speaker-specific summons – as well as two more without his knowledge. Now he continues his journey towards the Chuunin Exam Finals…and others are as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will learn as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

"Why can't you ever apologize to anyone when you want to, where you want to? You either have to go find them or wait for the idiot to wake up."

Yamanaka Ino could forgive herself for talking to nobody. After all, she was in a crazy boy's hospital room. Plus she was going stir-crazy from waiting for Naruto to wake up, to let her apologize for snapping at him. He'd been found in front of the Konoha hospital the day before, lying next to a huge animal footprint in the ground. Expert hunters had identified it as a wolf's footprint, which had gotten tongues wagging in the village. _"Those Uzumakis at it again." All day long, it was the talk of the town._

Naruto was good at many things – being hyper, annoying, obnoxious and loud, for example – but he was a horrible liar. Ino had had him pegged the instant he'd begun denying he knew what his bloodlines were. Years of dealing with Shikamaru's excuses and traps had to rub off a _little _on her. Simple research revealed that Naruto's Clan had always been secretive, which explained why so few people knew about them. It also showed that they were master summoners – rumored to be able to talk to animals. It had made her angry (that Naruto figured she'd be so gullible) and ashamed (that she had called him a pervert and crazy).

So here she was, waiting to apologize to the blond boy and yet on the verge of strangling him. What kind of power did Naruto have that she, Yamanaka Ino, would be reduced to waiting at his bedside like some airhead Sasuke fangirl?

Just then, like the cats she loved, Ino's curiosity began quietly stalking her reason, all sorts of mysteries and lurid possibilities presenting themselves. _The Uzumaki woman in the village now is Uzumaki Setsuna, and she had one sister, Uzumaki Haruka. That's Naruto's mother. But there's no mention of her marrying anyone before her death. Who is his father that Naruto thinks he has to hide that information? _

It was an interesting problem – the target of all her questions laid out unconscious before her in a hospital bed, dead to the waking world. The reasonable thing would be not to pry – Naruto obviously felt he had to keep it a secret. Unfortunately, at that point, Ino's curiosity pounced from behind a stray brain cell and inflicted a rather bloody, messy death on her reason. Cats tend to have that effect.

She had never tried the Dream Weaver on an unconscious target. Her father and Sakura had both been awake – if immobile – when she'd used it on them. Hopefully, Naruto's mind would be far easier to dig in for clues while he was asleep. That science said the exact opposite would be the case never entered her thoughts. Lacking reason will lead to such consequences.

Discarding the last shreds of doubt in her mind, Ino placed her hands over Naruto's head and quickly began to run through the seals for her signature technique. When she had finished, she took a deep breath – and sent her soul outwards, through the gate formed by her hands.

"Ninpou: Yume Oriko no Jutsu (Dream Weaver)!"

Her life would never be the same again.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Pure chaos was the only way Ino could describe what assaulted her. Like Naruto, it was loud. Screams, yells, and howls were everywhere, and none of the memories were consistent – or even visible in many cases. It was like Sakura's split personality, if that second soul had had memories of its own. There were images that didn't fit Naruto's life, things out of place or long since destroyed in the Leaf Village.

As curious as she was, Ino knew survival was her goal. Inoshi had warned her she had to establish control immediately, or risk a backlash that would put the "victim" in control of _her_ memories. Ino didn't have nearly as many secrets as Naruto, but she'd be damned if _he'd_ plow into _her_ soul. That _she_ was prying right now was conveniently forgotten.

Every memory was linked together, although the structure varied from person to person. Once Ino latched onto a certain memory and found a gateway into the rest, she could freely search through the target's mind and find what she wanted. She had to do that before Naruto realized what was happening and shut her out.

The best kind of opening was a nightmare, or something that had been difficult for the target to deal with. If it aroused fear or hatred, the memory was more easily accessible, constantly intruding on the person's thoughts. It would be simpler for her to slip through and into control.

Ino looked around, questing for something to grab on to, but found nothing. The upper levels of Naruto's mind, his most recent memories, were too unstable to deal with until she gained control over them all. To be safe, she would have to go deeper, further into his past.

Diving downwards, she concentrated on getting as low as possible, underneath the swirling mess. After a few seconds, the blonde girl stopped and took a brief glance around. Ino could sense there were fewer and fewer passages down here; a baby wouldn't have had many clear memories. Choosing one, she rushed to a door and yanked it open.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Man, who ever heard of a baby with this much hair on his head at birth?"

Ino stopped short as she heard the memory beginning to "play back" for her.

"If you want to complain, _you_ have the baby next time. I'd gladly trade jobs."

She peered around the doorway and noticed two people. One lay in a hospital bed cradling a newborn baby. The other stood beside the bed looking down at mother and child. Ino recognized the woman from her research – Uzumaki Haruka. That would make the baby Naruto, and presumably make the man at the bedside his father. With his head bent down, Ino couldn't tell who it was. When the father looked up, she started. _I know that face. Kazama Arashi, the Fourth Hokage_.

The same blue eyes and spiky hairstyle Naruto had also graced his father's features, making Ino wonder why nobody had picked up on the resemblance – or why they'd ignored it so long. Ino took a look at Naruto – who _did_ have a pretty full head of hair for a newborn - and prepared to move on, when the Fourth spoke again.

"Aren't you glad you had the kid after all? Got my looks, your voice, great hair like me. He's gonna be special. One of the greatest Leaf-nins ever."

Haruka scoffed, looking irritated. Her face cleared when she looked down at Naruto.

"I mentioned the pros and cons just once, and you think that equals wanting to abort? Not only that, you're talking nonsense."

Arashi looked down at her, looking confused.

"What? Just stating an opinion. He's got the genes to be brilliant."

Naruto's mother glared back at his father, a spark in her eyes.

"He _is_ special. This is my son. He was special when I laid eyes on him, no matter what happens from here on out. What are you pinning stupid expectations on him for?"

"To tell the truth," the Fourth muttered, scratching his head, "I don't really know. I just have this feeling he's got big things ahead in his life."

"Just take it a day at a time. That's how we all get by. Why should it be any different for our child?"

The Fourth shrugged, glancing back down at his son.

"When did you get so introspective?"

"It's called growing up, almighty Hokage. You should try it sometime."

Ino giggled at the Fourth's bewildered expression, and prepared to move on, but not before taking a good look back at Naruto's parents. Incredibly strong from what she'd heard, and they seemed to be loving enough. She knew why the Fourth was dead, but what could have made Haruka leave behind the son she loved so much? Ino looked about and found the door that would give her control.

Letting loose a sigh of relief, she smiled. All of Naruto's memories were now under her control. Everywhere she looked, more questions came to mind. If Naruto was related to such important people, why hadn't anyone adopted him or at least looked after him? If she was going to find out, it might as well be straight from the source.

The Ninetails had attacked soon after Naruto's birthday, and Uzumaki Haruka's death date was not long afterwards. If there was a relevant memory, it would be close. Choosing another door on the same level, Ino stepped into the memory and looked around.

This time Naruto was in an apartment, lying in a crib and looking around. With the curtains drawn, she couldn't tell if this was happening in the day or night. Before very long, she saw the door open. Haruka entered alone, moving slowly toward the crib. Out of maternity clothes, Ino could see that Naruto's mother was all business. Everything was in its place, from weapons and gear to the slightest hair on her head. This was a woman who took nothing for granted, the type to think everything through before acting. _Why make her child an orphan?_

Upon further glances, Naruto's mother looked haggard, dirt on her face, tears and stains all over her uniform. Ino nodded to herself. _This must have been during the Demon Fox's attack._ Haruka kept silent for a long time, picking her son up from his crib and looking down at him. Her face was expressionless, but Ino could see something clouding her eyes – perhaps grief, perhaps resignation.

"I should have known it was too good to be true. I'd have a child, we would settle down, and things would be smooth sailing forever."

What could she mean? The care she took in holding Naruto showed nothing but love. It couldn't mean that she resented him. Was it the Fourth? The Ninetails?

The mood was interrupted when the door opened quietly. Ino glanced at it thoughtfully. You did that when you were afraid to intrude, or just simply scared. Now she knew for certain this was happening during the Ninetails' attack. The person who stepped through the door didn't look familiar, but she bore a faint resemblance to someone the blonde _did_ know. Who was that girl with the buns in her hair? Tintin? Tonton? Oh, right, Tenten. Her mother, perhaps?

"Haruka-sama."

The older woman didn't turn around, still looking at her son.

"Heard the news, did you, Tenko?"

"Yes. We drew the task of holding off the Ninetails. Kazumasa and I have already made our preparations. We'll do our best."

"You will do nothing of the sort."

Haruka's response was soft, trying not to startle the baby, but Ino could literally feel the force in the older woman's voice. Uzumaki Haruka was not one to take orders. She gave them, and she expected them to be obeyed.

Tenten's double started, and looked up with a puzzled expression.

"What do you mean?"

Haruka stayed where she was, looking only at Naruto.

"There's going to be enough casualties tonight, and dreams shattered. You and Kazumasa are about to start a family. Can't let that dream die, not while I have the power to keep it safe."

"How?"

Haruka's voice sounded tired, but she was resolute.

"I'm going to fight it. Alone. Follow and you'll regret it."

Misawa Tenko's voice faltered, fighting her commander's order.

"Why would you do that? We're a team!"

"You know and I know no matter what happens out there, it's a losing battle. A good shinobi doesn't waste resources. That's just the way it is. You and Kazumasa are close combat and ranged weapon specialists. That stuff doesn't work on the Ninetails. Among our team, I'm the only one who has the resources to damage it and make it back off, which is what's needed. Why drag you into it?"

"We could defend you, and help you survive!"

"No offense, but nobody's that strong. Maybe not even the Fourth. No need to take that kind of chance. If you fight not to lose, you'll never win. I can't go in there thinking about how to make the demon back off while thinking of how I can stay alive. I'd just fail my task. If that happens, nobody survives."

Tenko looked at the baby in Haruka's arms, grasping for some argument to move the other woman.

"What about Naruto? Can you just leave him behind?"

Ino felt like slapping the younger kunoichi. _Can't you see she doesn't want to do it? The only thing you're doing is making it harder for her! Her mind is made up. Every word you say about Naruto is like a dagger in her heart._

Haruka straightened, and looked up to the ceiling.

"I'd rather die as a shinobi than live and shame my son. Uzumakis don't break their word. Ever. Those that do are no longer worthy of the name. Setsuna knew that. Had she become a Genin, she'd never have fulfilled her duties. She left the village to keep from shaming herself. When I took the vow of loyalty, I was swearing that I would be there when the Leaf needed me, to do what had to be done. Even if it killed me.

"If I back out now, how can I expect my son to keep his word when his time comes? Why would he, when his mother broke hers at such a time?"

Tenko had no response to that. Ino guessed Haruka wasn't the type to let insolence slide. Naruto's mother looked back down to her child, her eyes looking oddly peaceful.

"Anyway, you forgot it takes two to tango."

"Pardon?"

"My death will give the Fourth more time to think of a way to win. When he does, he'll raise Naruto. I want nothing more than to be there to see him grow up, but for all of Arashi's faults, he'll be a good father. I can feel it."

Ino's eyes shot wide open, the irony dawning on her. _She couldn't have known, because the Fourth hadn't even thought of his plan of attack yet. She had no idea he would win by sacrificing his life as well_.

A lot of things filled her thoughts. How could Naruto be so cheerful with such a story in his past? One parent sacrificing her life to buy time, so the other could do the exact same thing?

People had never taken the time to really look at him. They saw the way he acted and assumed it was because he was a fool, or worse. How could anyone have known it was because the alternative was this kind of despair? How could they understand it when none of them had faced such a thing?

It made her angry, but she wasn't sure why. Angry for him, for all the things she'd seen him go through? Angry at the world for being so cruel and cold? Was she angry at herself for never seeing it in him? Maybe it was all of them. Whatever it was, staying in this memory would not help her any. In fact, she got the distinct feeling she was intruding in something that should have stayed private.

Rather unlike her, Ino tiptoed out and went looking somewhere else, seeking something happier. It soon became clear that wasn't such a good idea.

No matter where she looked, Ino just got angrier. She saw the Fourth as he completed the seal on the Ninetails, teeth still clenched in bitter hatred of the demon. _He left his own son behind to get his revenge. Some hero_. She saw the villagers demand Naruto's death, only to be turned away by the Third. Kazumasa and Tenko had tried to adopt Naruto that same day, and _also_ been rejected on the orders of the Fourth, taking one last look at him before departing the hospital. _He wanted all of us to raise his son, so we could be reminded of what we owed him. Big mistake. Nobody listened._

The higher up she got, the more years that passed, nothing changed. People scorned Naruto, humiliated him, and he had seldom been able to do anything about it. Ino didn't take solace in not showing up in those memories. She knew she would have done much the same thing then.

Maybe it was because she was distracted that something began to draw her in, something powerful. Ino gravitated towards it, looking for something less depressing. Perhaps this was when Setsuna had returned, or when this mysterious Jiraiya person had been seen in the village.

Before too long, she found herself before a sort of abyss, a place where it seemed a gate had once been, but was now gone, leaving a perfect rectangular opening in a rocky wall. As she stepped forward, peering in, water splashed around her ankles.

_What is this place?_

"HOW NICE, A VISITOR. I GET SO FEW."

Ino stared as a voice sounded in the darkness, but couldn't see a thing. Slowly creeping forward, she heard it speak again.

"COME CLOSER, CHILD. COWARDICE IS NO QUALITY FOR A NINJA."

It felt…wrong. Strange, inhuman. Yet she couldn't help but keep on coming, as though something was pulling her in, controlling her body. She stopped, and immediately wished she hadn't. A pair of red eyes stared back at her from the darkness, glowing with lambent energy, glaring hatred into her very soul. This was not Naruto.

"THE WHELP IS NOT HERE. HE RARELY PREFERS MY COMPANY. BUT THEN I CANNOT SAY I ENJOY HIS EITHER. YOU, ON THE OTHER HAND, WOULD MAKE A NICE SNACK. A PITY TO KILL ONE SO YOUNG, BUT IT MUST BE FATE FOR YOU TO APPEAR BEFORE ME. EMBRACE IT, IF YOU PLEASE. I FIND THOSE WHO RESIST TO BE…STRINGY."

As the voice continued, Ino watched a set of giant claws appear out of the darkness, helpless to react, held in place by sheer terror.

"Chew on this, furball."

The kunoichi only barely felt the gust of air as the claws swept by her head, something pushing her out of the way. She heard a loud clang as the claws slammed into a massive gate that suddenly appeared where the hole in the wall had been, a large paper seal holding it shut. In shock, she looked up to see teeth underneath the red eyes, a face twisted in rage, staring down at a form that had to be her rescuer.

"DAMN YOU! DO YOU DENY ME EVEN A TINY SNACK, WHELP?"

Ino's head snapped upwards when her rescuer responded – in Naruto's voice.

"A snack? What are you, a cannibal? Forget it. You aren't getting anything to eat today but crow. If you think that little display will make me trust your power and let you fight more often, you've got another thing coming."

The voice's response was just a frustrated growl, as the eyes and teeth vanished. Ino sighed in relief, but that relief quickly vanished as Naruto turned around and she saw his face, looking down on her with irritation.

"You mind taking us back to the real world? I'd like to talk when I'm in total control of myself."

Ino obeyed silently, and the landscape of Naruto's mind vanished.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Neither one of them spoke for some time. Ino was too shocked by what she'd seen, and Naruto too angry to do much other than stare at the ceiling.

For all she'd heard before, the kunoichi had had a hard time believing that Naruto was actually the vessel of the Ninetails – until she had faced the demon herself. Naruto had never known of it until recently, believing himself hated for no reason. Finding out about the demon couldn't have made it better.

But he was the same as ever. To borrow a phrase from the Sasuke fans, Naruto was very, very cool. Facing down a demon for this long? With absolutely no fear? Ino recognized strength when she saw it. And Naruto, loudmouthed, stubborn and irritating as he was, was incredibly strong. He was still trying to make friends and advance as a ninja. He respected the Leaf after everything he'd been through. It couldn't have been easy to forgive everyone for that. Ino probably wouldn't have it if it had been done to her.

Why even make friends with them? It was pretty funny thinking about it. Ino had seen what Naruto was capable of. She knew he could easily justify going on a murderous rampage within the village. If anything, they should have been bowing and scraping to _him_, not Sasuke.

She wanted to be his friend, as strange as it had once sounded. Not because it was prudent, or to keep herself safe. It was because…well, he _deserved_ it. You might not be able to say anything else to justify it, but that said everything. There was just one problem – Ino had just pissed him off quite severely.

Naruto didn't know what to think. That Ino was here meant she'd probably come to see him. That was good. That he'd had to rescue her from the Ninetails meant she had gone digging around in his brain. That was bad, if not insane.

The whole thing made him jealous. Ino had seen the very things that had always been denied him – Haruka, the short time they had shared as mother and child. Why could _she_ see what _he_ could not?

But as much as he wanted to be mad at her, something kept coming back to him. _She understands_. He didn't have to ask to know Ino understood what he was. The look in her eyes was enough. She was still here, not running for the hills. For someone who had just faced down the Ninetails, that was surprising.

Naruto had friends – he still counted Kakashi-sensei and Sakura, and Sasuke, when he wasn't being an ass. Even Hinata. But people who _understood_ him, and gave him the benefit of the doubt? Those were few and far between. Iruka-sensei, Aunt Setsuna, Pervert Sennin, the Third, the Ebon Shadow, Lord Yama, Itachi, Blood Claw and Deathstrike were about it. Was it worth being angry over something like this and pushing away someone who could join that list? He considered that for a moment, and then made his decision.

"Guess you saw all the gory details."

Ino looked at him, surprised. Naruto leaned back against the hospital bed's headboard and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, I'm pissed you did it without asking me, but we can't exactly take it back. Question is, what are you going to do with what you saw?"

"You've been through enough as it is without me adding to your problems. Why would I do anything at all?"

Naruto arched an eyebrow.

"This from the girl who chucked a bowl at my head?"

Ino flushed bright red, remembering the scene she'd made at the restaurant. Before she could answer, she heard someone speak behind her – but why did she understand it when it sounded like a crow cawing?

[Hardly necessary, Naruto. I would think she came to apologize. Itachi was the one at fault, as I'm sure she understands.]

Reacting instinctively, Ino responded.

"That's right!"

When nobody said anything, Ino looked up. Naruto sat there staring at her, jaw slack in disbelief. The blonde girl turned to see the gigantic raven Naruto called the Ebon Shadow, perched on the open window sill.

[Did she say something to me, by chance?]

"I'm no doctor," Naruto muttered, "but jumping into my head must have scrambled hers up some. Say something else and we'll check."

[Very well. Can you hear me, Human?]

Ino replied, voice shaking a little with uneasiness.

"Yes."

[She can hear me, but I cannot understand what she says. It would appear she has an imperfect version of your ability.]

Naruto snorted, leaning back against the wall.

"Well, either we're both crazy now, or I'm honest. Which one, Ino?"

The kunoichi blushed even harder and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "sorry." Naruto, never much of a sadist, grinned.

"Ah, forget it. I hate apologies, and I'm pretty sure you do too. _Now_ do you trust my word?"

_What an odd thing to say_, she thought. With Uzumakis, it always came back to their word being their bond. Perhaps that was why he hadn't turned against the village. Naruto had friends who had kept their word to trust and defend him, and he was honoring that. Better for her to be in that category, she decided. The part of her that said he was cute as a tragic hero she shoved way in the back of her head. The last thing either of them needed now was for this to get emotional. Naruto needed friends. The rest could come later.

"Yes."

"That's what I like to hear."

[Is it wise to have the secret of your bloodlines running around, Naruto?]

Naruto cut off Ino's brief look of annoyance by responding for her.

"She saw everything I am, Shadow, and she's still here. That speaks for her guts. It also says she thinks I ain't a demon like others. If my secrets aren't safe in Ino's hands, they'll never be safe. I'll trust her. You might try it too. Couldn't hurt."

[So she will be your Human Lorekeeper, and I the animal version?]

Ino looked puzzled by that.

"What's he mean by Lorekeeper?"

Naruto waved it off with a hand.

"It's part of my job with the animals. What I do, they assign someone to remember. It was the same with all the Uzumakis who did it before me. I don't need that from humans. Right now, I'd be pretty happy if they all just stopped treating me like crap."

"Come on, they don't _all_ do that."

"Fine, _most_ of them treat me like crap. Why do you think I always wanted to be Hokage? Who has the guts to badmouth the big boss shinobi?"

"Then why do something stupid like quitting your team? That's a Hokage thing to do?"

"You better believe it," Naruto growled. "If something's not going to work, why waste time and make people miserable by forcing it? Why not find a different way that could improve everybody's future?"

Ino didn't look convinced.

"If you ask me, it looks more like you threw a tantrum at Kakashi and booked it out of there before he could react."

Naruto shrugged.

"Yeah, there was anger in there. But doing the right thing is my story and I'm sticking to it. Not saying I'm right, just the way I see things."

Ino grinned and pointed to her ears.

"You see these, Naruto? These are finely tuned bullshit detectors. And they're ringing something fierce right now."

Naruto laughed, the first time he'd done that in days.

"Yeah? Better clean 'em out, 'cause they're giving you false readings. Remember when you thought I wasn't playing with a full deck?"

[All things are relative, Miss Ino. Surely I am a good reminder of that?]

"Hey! No fair siccing the animal on me when I can't respond."

Naruto snickered.

"How many times do I gotta tell you they've got minds of their own? When they find one of us they can speak with, they'll talk your ears off if you let 'em. You're just lucky you can't talk back. Then they'd want you to help me out."

Ino turned that thought over in her head. In the space of half an hour she had gone from fairly normal girl to being able to hear animals, facing down a demon, and changing her perspective on Naruto. It was turning into a pretty surreal day. As soon as she completed that thought, the day got even stranger.

The door to Naruto's room banged open and a harried-looking Iruka strode in. Mindful of Naruto's secrets, the Ebon Shadow took flight, winging back towards the forest.

"Naruto! I finally found you. You've been putting it off long enough. Come with me!"

Naruto bristled, sensing something related to hard work.

"Putting what off? I'm a busy guy, Iruka-sensei! Half the things I do today I won't remember tomorrow! What're you babbling about?"

"Gee, I don't know. Does your mission ring a bell?"

The blonde boy squinted suspiciously at him.

"I thought that didn't start until after the Chuunin Exam was over."

"It doesn't," Iruka sighed, "but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go see the client and get an idea of what they want. It's the courteous thing to do, and it'll help you prepare for the mission, instead of walking in there after the Exam knowing nothing."

Walking over to a cabinet near the door, Iruka pulled out Naruto's jacket and tossed it onto the bed, where it landed with a heavy thud of weights.

"We should get going. You've only got a day before the Finals start."

Naruto didn't move for a second, and then he glanced at Ino.

"Want to come along? Something tells me two heads are better than one at breaking down a mission."

Ino was surprised – but not much – at what came out of her mouth.

"Why not?"

_In for a penny, in for a pound, right?_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Now remember, Naruto. Try to be courteous, and listen for a while. Usually with private missions the client wants to get something frustrating settled. Let them vent, and things will be easier to discuss."

"Sure, sensei. Whatever you say."

Iruka wondered why the kid was being so nonchalant about a mission he'd jumped at just weeks ago. Everything about today had been strange, from hearing Naruto was in the hospital to finding Ino with him. And why would he invite her along for something as private as a briefing?

When Ino, walking in front of them, turned back and glanced at Naruto, he knew why. _Hardly a normal look._ It wasn't the typical way people looked at Naruto, as though they wanted to be anywhere else but facing him. Neither was it how she had once looked at Sasuke, like all the other girls. _Like they wanted to eat him alive_.

This was different. Ino's eyes had the look of someone much older, as if she'd grown years in a matter of days. _Those are the eyes of a veteran – if not of battle, then of life. I don't know what she saw, but that's not fear or disgust she's looking at him with. It's familiarity. If I didn't know them both so well, I'd say she'd known him his whole life instead of a few years since the Academy. Like an old friend…or lover_.

He should have been suspicious. At the very least, something so odd should have concerned him. But Iruka didn't feel there was anything _to_ fear.

_The only reason it's strange is that Naruto has never experienced something like this. People like me understand him, but that's because we've been through the wars and the pain. We know the whole story, and looked past it to see the person, not the demon. But those are all adults – myself, Setsuna, Hokage-sama, Jiraiya-sama. Ino is from his generation. She and the others in his class are the ones he'll have to live with in the long run. It may not be enough that they like or acknowledge him, if none of them truly knows who and what he is, the things he's suffered. If he's ever to feel like a part of this village, they have to understand him. Maybe that's her job._

Iruka shook his head, smiling to himself.

_Listen to me. I sound like his father. I've certainly invested a lot in him. Maybe a little too much. Time to let him learn his own lessons for a while. If he needs you, he knows where to find you_.

He winked at Ino, causing the blonde girl to start in puzzlement.

_He's all yours._

Before she could say anything, they reached the address Iruka had given Naruto, a house about the size of Naruto's. As the three ninja walked up to the door, it opened for them – sort of.

"Get back here and finish your vegetables! I made them myself!"

"Why do you think I don't wanna eat 'em?"

A small blue-and-white streak attempted to leap out the door, but stopped short when Naruto stretched a hand out and snagged it. Once it stopped moving, the blur turned into a boy about Konohamaru's age, held running in place as he dangled from Naruto's hand.

Unlike Konohamaru, this child had nothing good to say to Naruto.

"Who the hell are you?"

The blonde Genin squinted suspiciously at Ikegata Tenji.

"I oughta ask you the same thing. This looks like a normal house. What's a high-Rank mission doing comin' out of here?"

Iruka was about to think of a lame excuse when the voice that had been yelling at Tenji got closer to the door and opened it wider.

"And don't come back, you – oh! Iruka-sensei!"

Naruto saw a girl come through the door, a frying pan in one hand, and bow to Iruka. Even after she straightened, he couldn't quite remember her name. _Those hair buns look familiar. Where have I seen her before?_ Then it hit him.

"I got it! You're the one who got her ass whooped in the Preliminaries by the fan girl!"

Tenten's response was wordless - then again, crowning him with the frying pan said more than enough.

"Some future Hokage," Ino snorted. "He can control everything but his mouth."

Iruka grinned. She definitely sounded like a wife haranguing her husband. _I don't think you quite realize what you've gotten yourself into, Naruto. Enjoy._

Another adult came through the doorway, snagging Tenji from Naruto's hand and slinging the protesting child over his shoulder. Kazumasa patted his daughter on the head, feeling his way out onto the porch.

"Tenten! The truth is the truth. That's why we've been working on it, haven't we? There's no need to overreact."

His daughter went bright red, and she wasn't blushing.

"Overreact? He doesn't even know my name! All he knows is that I got humiliated! I'm the laughingstock of the village!"

Naruto shook his head.

"Look, I'm sorry. I suck with names. All I know is you hang around with Lee, so I had to think of where I knew you from. Don't take it so hard. Hinata lost. So did Sakura and Ino. They ain't ashamed to admit it. Why are you any different?"

This time Ino hit him with an elbow in the gut.

"I _would_ have won if you hadn't cheered her on. And anyway, I tied."

Naruto bristled at being hit by two girls and not being able to respond.

"First you want me to be responsible and act all nice-nice with Sakura, and now you don't? Make up your mind, will ya?"

Iruka stepped in before the whole scene turned into a melee and not a job briefing.

"Children, children. Nobody's perfect. Let's all recognize that. Now I believe you had something to tell Naruto, Ikegata-san? A mission?"

Quick on the uptake, Kazumasa ushered everyone inside the house, keeping a firm grip on his son.

"Sure thing. Come on in, then. Can't be talkin' out here for such a high-rank mission."

Ino chanced a look at Naruto as they entered the house, and was surprised at how suspiciously he glanced at everything. _He's probably got the right idea. Nothing about this setup feels right. _Truth be told, she was suspicious too. Tenten was a Genin, and apparently not a strong one – this mission probably wasn't her idea. That left the tall man with the bandages over his eyes. He was probably blind, but he walked like everyone Ino knew – like a shinobi, ready to spring in any direction. _So he ought to know Naruto's not ready for a mission alone. He's had a Rank A mission, but that was with two more Genin and a Jounin_.

Someone his age was from Haruka's generation. Ino had never asked any adult about Naruto, but she gathered her parents and their friends knew far more than they let on about him. They had to know what he was, and what he was capable of. _You want to tempt him to do what you want, by offering him the one thing you know he can't resist – glory. What's your game?_

Thankfully, Kazumasa ended the confusion quickly.

"Okay, you're tensed up. Easy, already. I'm not sending you on a suicide run."

Kazumasa picked Tenji up off his shoulder and plunked him down on the living room couch, where he sat glaring at Naruto.

"This is my son, Tenten's younger brother, Ikegata Tenji. It seems he's run your Iruka-sensei into the ground, and it's the same for us. As you might have guessed, I'm blind for the moment, and I can't really look after him. Tenten has her own life, and my wife is an Anbu member, so she's always on call. It's not the best way to raise a kid."

If anything, Naruto's expression got even harder. Ino winced to herself. _He'd better not be saying what I think he's saying. Naruto isn't one to take disappointment lightly_. When Naruto _did_ respond, his voice was disturbingly quiet. He didn't have the force of his mother with that tone, but Ino knew he was just as serious.

"Let me get this straight. You signed up for a high-Rank mission. You got Iruka-sensei to get my attention with it. Then he drags me out of a hospital bed. _AND ALL OF THIS TO TELL ME TO YOU WANT A BABYSITTER!?_"

His hands came together violently, colliding and forming his favorite seal. Within seconds, five Naruto clones had surrounded Tenji and one was holding him by his feet, upside down.

"I don't know why he's giving you a hard time. To tell the truth, I'm not sure I want to care. I got a life too, Mister. I just spent three weeks training for what's gonna be a hard-ass fight with that Hyuga punk. I'm tired. I'm wasted. I ain't got time to mess around with a little brat who doesn't take anything seriously. Hell, even Konohamaru's better to deal with. You want help with him, get a nanny. Stop wasting my time."

Taking the mission notice out of his jacket, Naruto handed it to Iruka.

"Sorry, sensei. I don't have time to waste on dumb practical jokes. I'm out of here."

Ino got up too, but slowly, not wanting to cause a scene. _I can't believe there are still people who can't see he just wants to be a normal, accepted part of this place. Why can't they deal with him normally and stop playing stupid jokes on him?_

They got halfway to the door, ignoring Iruka's protests, until one sentence from Kazumasa stopped Naruto in his tracks.

"You're just like your mother."

Naruto turned around slowly, and this time the anger in his eyes was obvious to everyone. Even Tenten started inching towards the other end of the couch.

"What did you just say?"

"Uzumaki Haruka. One of the first women to achieve high rank within the Anbu. Famous for never taking crap from anyone, whether it was the richest client or the Hokage himself."

"What's it to you?"

Kazumasa slumped back against his seat.

"She was my commander."

Naruto searched his mind for where he'd seen Tenten's father before.

"Wait a minute. You're the Master of Blades? The one who was always getting drunk and whining about not being able to date Misawa Tenko?"

The blind Jounin grinned.

"That, I corrected with your mother's help. When she sacrificed herself to hold off the Ninetails and ordered the rest of the team to stay behind, that sealed the deal for Tenten's mom and I. We owe her big, for that and many other reasons."

Naruto bristled at the older man's relaxed tone.

"So why are you screwing around with me?"

"How else was I supposed to get you to come here, when you didn't even know who we were?"

"Come here for _what_? Reminisce for old times' sake?"

Kazumasa waved a hand in the air.

"In a manner of speaking. I've been keeping something for you. Consider it a little bit of payback to your mother. Come with me."

The blind man still knew how to get around his house, and strode to the back, followed by Tenten, Tenji, Iruka, Naruto and Ino. Before long they stepped through a sliding door, and into a decent-sized dojo, weapons of all kinds securely strapped into racks on the walls. Walking to the very back of the room, Kazumasa grabbed a small ring set into the ceiling and pulled. As he did so, a hidden weapon rack came down, revealing four straight blades – Anbu weapons. Taking the sword on the very top, he walked back and handed it to Naruto.

As Naruto took the weapon, he heard a faint rattle from within the scabbard.

"I ain't one to use swords, but I'm pretty sure they aren't supposed to rattle. You're supposed to just pull 'em out and start hacking."

Kazumasa bowed his head.

"This particular sword is no longer fit for combat. It's something I deeply regret, but was unable to do anything about."

Naruto regarded the weapon in his hands suspiciously, squinting at the well-polished lacquer sheath.

"What're you trying to say?"

"That was Haruka's sword. When the rest of the team went out to find her after the battle, it was beside her, in pieces, along with the bodies of four large wolves. I took the pieces home with me, for safekeeping. Now it's yours."

Naruto looked down at the sword and pulled it out. Where the scabbard was more than a foot long, the blade he removed was barely half that length, the rest snapped off and still inside the sheath. The blade was bright, and apparently still sharp. On the very bottom, nearest the hilt, two characters were engraved. The blonde boy squinted down at them.

"Suzaku?"

Kazumasa scratched the back of his head, a little chagrined.

"Chalk that up to youth. When you're young and tough, you think you're invincible. You know everything. When our team was formed, we all got new blades, and we called ourselves the Shijintai (Four God Squad). Your mother was Suzaku, I was Seiryu, Tenten's mother was Genbu and our medic Kuriko was Byakko. The names were carved into our blades."

Naruto nodded his head up at the hidden weapon rack.

"You've got three more Anbu swords up there. Don't tell me those are the other ones from your team?"

"Good guess. When Haruka died, it was our wake-up call. We weren't kids anymore, nor were we as tough as we all thought. The next day, we went back to our old weapons, and stored away the Shijin blades. It wasn't anything noble or wise. We just didn't want to be reminded that our swords were whole because we hadn't fought."

Naruto hefted the broken sword in his hand and then sheathed it, looking over at the Master of Blades.

"Why take it so hard? If you'd fought, you'd be as dead as my mom is. I don't know why she did it alone, but I can guess. She wanted her teammates to carry on, not waste your lives on a battle you couldn't win. I doubt agonizing over it was what she wanted you to do with the rest of your life."

"I suppose. I try not to think about it too much, hence the rack in the ceiling."

Tenten knew better than to believe that coming from either of her parents. She had a different perspective on the sword.

------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, Princess. You've mastered the art of the throwing needle. Now I think it's time you learned something about blades."

Her father had said that to her one day years ago, as they sat in the same dojo. When she'd looked around, it had called out to her. _Something precious makes you strong. Fighting for it, that is. They always say that to us at the Academy_. The scabbard had looked exactly the same then as it had when her father gave it to Naruto, immaculately polished, lovingly placed on the highest weapon rack in the room. For her parents to devote so much time to maintaining it, the sword had to be precious to them.

"I want to learn how to use that one."

Kazumasa followed his daughter's eyes until he saw the sword she meant, and went white as a sheet. His voice sounded strangled as he spoke again.

"Sorry, Tenten. Any sword but that one."

"Why? It must be powerful if you're always taking such good care of it. If I'm ever going to become as strong as Tsunade, shouldn't I master strong weapons?"

She had never forgotten what happened in that instant. It was one of the only times her father had ever become truly angry at her. Cold precision showed in his eyes, what her mother said happened when he became the "Master of Blades."

"I'm warning you, daughter. It's a closed subject. Don't ever ask me again."

Cowed, she had simply asked to learn how to throw kunai. Kazumasa had calmed down, but he had never spoken of the sword again – at least not within sight of her. Later that day, Tenko had cornered him about the incident, not knowing their daughter had crept into earshot.

"You didn't have to bite her head off just because you have survivor's guilt. Why do we even have the swords there if they're such a source of shame?"

"You know kids. They have a knack for finding just the thing you didn't want them to see. Doesn't matter if you lock it in a safe, or up in a closet. They'll get to it. I figured putting them in plain sight would throw them off the trail."

Tenko sounded exasperated.

"Throw Tenten off the trail? You promised her you would teach her every weapon style known to man! Why wouldn't she ask to use the sword?"

"All right! Leave off already. I'll store it away. Somewhere safe, so we can return it when the time comes."

Tenten blinked at that. _Return it? Who did they borrow it from?_

Her mother responded, a bitter tone to her voice.

"If it ever does. I saw him today, you know. The children were teasing him again. All of the usual things, why he has no parents, his clothes, everything."

"So much for the Third's orders. People found plenty of ways to get around them and pass down their fears, even if the children don't know why they fear him."

"Then why has he let this happen? He should have known it would unless someone was there to protect the child!"

"Orders, he said. So everyone would be reminded of what they owed him."

"That," Tenko snorted, "is going to be one big unpaid debt by the time he becomes an adult. Do they _want_ to make him become a missing-nin? Wasn't it enough that we lost our best and brightest in that fight? Now they'd like to banish the one who bears the greatest burden from it!"

Kazumasa chuckled.

"You have to admit, that would suit them just fine. But he's stubborn, like his parents. He won't break. Much, anyway."

"How can you be so cavalier about this?"

"We asked the Third if we could have him," the Master of Blades said, "and he said no. We could ask today, we could ask tomorrow, and every day for a year, and the answer would be the same. All we can do is live with it and hope for the best."

"That's not much consolation."

"Hey, you want consolation, there are other ways to get it."

"Not while the children are awake, silly."

"Oh, sure, rain on my parade."

---------------------------------------------------------

The idea intrigued Tenten – appealing to her romantic side, or to the part of some girls that is attracted to outcasts and riff-raff. There _was_ the slight problem of not knowing the boy's name, but to a young girl, that was no big deal. Fantasy hardly requires a good knowledge of facts.

It had captivated her ever since. She had wondered if she could be the one to bring such a tragic figure in from the cold, and earn respect for reminding everyone what a hero he was. Certainly the boy would appreciate it too. On the days when people teased her for her hairstyle, or her clothes, or any number of things (lame jutsu included), it was a nice way to get back at the popular girls in her head.

As she got older, Tenten figured it _would_ be a good idea to at least find out who her fantasy charity case really was. After a little research around the village, she had settled on Sasuke as her target. After all, he had no parents, he wore the same clothes every day, and there was this subtle sense about him that he was dangerous, just like his brother. It was a perfect fit – if you disregarded the fact that Sasuke never got teased.

_So much for that little fantasy_, she said to herself now, looking at Naruto. Why had she never considered him before? Ino obviously had, or she wouldn't be here now. A little voice in her head said it for her. _You didn't want to. You wanted someone popular, who could make people stop bugging you._ How was she different from any of the airheads who chased Sasuke? He wouldn't return their affections. Sakura was on his team, constantly trying to get through to him, and even _she_ got no love. _Time to move on, girl_. If Ino, the most domineering girl in the village, could get in good with Naruto, she wouldn't have a problem.

Naruto was annoying, and his mouth was only slightly cleaner than a sailor's, but he was tough. Tenten had seen that much for herself in the Forest of Death. _He turned three on one into a one on one matchup without any help_. Then, not only had Naruto handled Kiba with several instant counters, he'd also done the unthinkable – face down Neji without flinching. _Nobody_ did that. Even Gai-sensei had moments when he felt unnerved by the Hyuga prodigy.

Had she really missed something? Tenten pondered it while looking at Naruto again. There really were things about him you could overlook if you didn't see Naruto up close, straight in the eye. When he had gotten angry at her father, his eyes had changed. It wasn't the same thing she'd seen Kazumasa do. That was human, promising a single moment of pain that would finish you. Naruto's eyes were like a wounded animal's – or something worse. Eyes that could deliver an eternity of suffering without blinking, because they had already seen it firsthand.

But he hadn't done that. Not because Naruto couldn't. Because he wouldn't. How was that even possible? For someone to go through humiliation, loneliness, sorrow and everything else on the emotional spectrum and _not_ come out homicidal was unbelievable. The kind of mental strength it must have taken to do that was Sannin-worthy. The kind of thing she'd aspired to, so she could become like Tsunade. _And that I've always failed at_.

More than she wanted love or popularity, Tenten had always wanted to be strong. You didn't get many strong female role models in this culture, and girls weren't often seen in positions of power among the shinobi until they got old. She could count on her fingers the women who'd done it at a young age – Tsunade, Tenko, Kurenai…and Uzumaki Haruka. And when she had met someone who had similar strength, and could show her what she had to do, she'd hit him with a frying pan. _He DID deserve it, though._

Naruto was definitely worthy of her attention – if she could figure out what he saw in Ino. There would be time to find out if that led to other things later, especially if her father managed to tempt him into taking the babysitting job. Kazumasa looked like he was ready to do just that.

"Now, understand something. This is not what I was going to pay you for taking on the job. It's completely different. I know you don't have time to do it every day, so I'll propose a compromise. Most of the time Tenji isn't that big a handful. We can control him just fine. But there's going to be days when I'm not around, Tenten's out, and Tenko's not available. Or there might be times when he's just making us all pissed. I'd like to be able to call on you then, and see if you can't connect with him."

Naruto got straight to the point.

"So if the sword ain't my payment for being your panic button, what is?"

"I'm sure you've heard Tenten is a master of throwing weapons. She can hit a target a hundred times in a hundred throws. That isn't innate, nor a Bloodline Limit. It came out of special techniques and training I devised as a younger man. I can give you the same accuracy, with more weapons than you might think."

The blonde boy's answer left Tenten fuming when she heard it.

"Sorry, not interested."

As much as she wanted to learn about strength from him, Tenten was a little tired of having her skills put down.

"Why? Because I 'got my ass whooped' using them? They're not good enough for you to learn?"

He turned his eyes on her, and even though he wasn't angry, she quickly shut her mouth. Naruto stared at Tenten for a moment, and then back at his mother's sword.

"It ain't that. What you do with your weapon throwing and those scrolls? That's family business. Something you and your dad share. I ain't butting in."

"What are you talking about?"

Tenten heard the sword rattle as Naruto tightened his grip on it.

"Don't ask me to explain. I'm not good at that. Maybe I'm just weird. But it seems to me this kind of thing – special techniques, things only your family knows, learning together – is what keeps people together, keeps 'em feeling like family. Up until a month or so ago, I never had that. When it happens for me, I don't exactly feel like havin' anybody else around. It's special to me. And I can't just be takin' that away from you. Maybe you don't feel the same, 'cause you've had it all along. But you ain't getting me to bust in where I don't belong."

When his daughter failed to respond, Kazumasa spoke for her.

"Then what can I give you to make this deal work?"

Naruto lifted the sword and put it back in the blind man's hands.

"You want to do something for me? Then find somebody to make this sword usable again – and teach me how to use it."

Kazumasa regarded the broken weapon grimly.

"You should know that the blade can't be fully repaired. If it could, I would have done it years ago. The best I can do is sharpen the rest and make it a wakizashi or kodachi."

Naruto shrugged.

"That's fine. I get the feeling the Anbu wouldn't be too happy to see me carrying around a full blade anyway."

"Now, do you think you can handle my son?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and vanished. Before Tenji could realize he was there, the little boy was upside down again, Naruto holding him by the ankles. Tenten's younger brother protested loudly.

"All the blood's rushing to my head!"

"Good, there'll actually be something in there for once."

Tenji squirmed, but Naruto showed no signs of letting him go.

"Let me up!"

"Why should I?"

Tenji's only reply was to squirm even harder. It didn't help. Finally, Naruto raised the boy's eyes to meet his own.

"When you learn to treat people with respect and not take advantage of your dad and your sister, I'll treat you normally. Until then, you're staying like this, every time I see you. That's gonna happen any time your sister or your dad thinks your punk ass is being a pain. Which would be every day, if you keep at it. So go ahead, be a brat. I look forward to it."

Looking over at Kazumasa, he shrugged.

"That answer your question?"

"Looks like a deal to me."

Iruka smiled as he watched Naruto and Kazumasa shake on the deal. That was one of his students he no longer had to worry about. But what about the others?

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, are we clear? You work here when you have the time, and you're not on call unless you've told me in advance you'll be available. I can always find temporary help. But so help me, skip town without telling me, and I _will_ cut you off."

Uzumaki Setsuna looked down at her newest employee, awaiting her answer. Sakura knew better than to keep her new sensei waiting.

"Yes, ma'am."

Her moment of seriousness over, Setsuna waved off the formality and slouched back in her chair.

"Come on, just call me Setsuna-sensei. I ain't one to talk about manners. This is a small operation. It'll be you, me, Slinger, Miki, and maybe some occasional help if we can make a profit to afford 'em. Just like a normal, semi-functional family. Everyone pulls their weight."

"I've never done anything like this before. How will I know what to do?"

Setsuna chuckled.

"Oh, you'll learn. According to that Iruka guy you're a smart cookie. You'll get the hang of it right quick. Now, mind you, we do things a little…differently here. As you've noticed, we have three waitresses to cover a dining room that can seat more than a hundred people. Obviously the numbers don't add up, right?"

"So how do we serve the customers?"

Setsuna waved Miki over, and the redheaded waitress placed a small bundle on the table in front of Sakura. When the pink-haired girl opened it, she found a uniform like the one Miki and Slinger wore, along with several heavy metal weights and an oversized pair of shoes.

"_You_ aren't serving customers quite yet. The pace would make you keel over in a day or so. Instead, you're going to come in here before we open up and train. Then when we open, you'll observe how Miki and I go about things. We didn't advertise the grand opening much, so the two of us can handle the crowd until you're ready to help out."

"Train in what? Isn't it just balancing a tray and getting it to the table quickly?"

"Sakura," Setsuna sighed, "you got a lot to learn. Slinger! Start us off on a practice run! And don't cook anything this time! Naruto and his pals aren't around to eat the leftovers."

"Your funeral, boss."

Setsuna snorted as she tied a headband around her forehead, holding her hair back.

"Please. You've never beaten me at this and your lazy ass never will. Miki! Let's get it on! Been too long since we gave Slinger a challenge."

The other waitress smiled, preparing herself with a headband as well. Sakura watched, puzzled, as all hell broke loose. Slinger Ozaki bellowed a war cry as he dashed into the kitchen. Seconds later, a bowl came soaring out of the window between Slinger's domain and the dining room.

"Pork ramen, heavy soup! Table 7!"

Setsuna smirked and bowed to Miki.

"Show the new girl how it's done."

"Of course."

The pink-haired girl's eyes shot open as Miki leaped into the air, grabbing onto a beam and swinging herself around it. After a circle or two, she used her momentum to soar off the wooden support. The petite waitress intercepted Slinger's bowl in mid-air, catching it in one hand and delicately altering her course by bouncing off another roof beam. Miki landed with nary a sound by Table 7, the water inside the bowl barely disturbed. Sakura's jaw dropped.

"How…? She's so…"

Setsuna looked amused.

"Clumsy? On the ground, maybe. In the air, there's nobody I trust more than Miki. She feels she can be free up there, and I ain't one to mess with success. Get the point now, what you're gonna be training in? We give the customer thrills, chills, and no spills. Exactly what a girl with brains but little brawn needs to balance herself out."

"But I can jump! Every Academy student has to be able to do that kind of acrobatics just to graduate!"

Slinger interrupted Sakura's complaint with another "order."

"Miso ramen, chicken teriyaki bowl and an extra pot of rice on the side. Table 39!"

"Hang on a second. I'll be right back."

This time Setsuna shot into the air, but instead of going straight up to the airborne dishes as Miki had, Naruto's aunt began to twist in midair. As she drew closer to the target, Setsuna's hands and feel began to glow. Sakura gasped, startled. _Chakra? But I thought she wasn't a shinobi!_

Snagging the ramen bowl in one hand and the teriyaki bowl in the other, Setsuna spun again and lashed a foot out at the little metal pot Slinger had put the "rice" in, catching it with her chakra and hurling it above her. Landing beside Table 39, Setsuna quickly set the dishes in her hands down on the table, and then held her right hand out. A second later, the metal pot plopped down into her hand, undisturbed.

"Still think you know it all, missy? Slinger, time out! The rookie needs a lesson."

Sakura slumped into a nearby chair, wondering what she'd gotten herself into. Setsuna approached after laying down the rice pot, patting the pink-haired girl's shoulder in sympathy.

"I ain't gonna lie, Sakura. This is not an easy job to learn. It wasn't for me, and it wasn't for Miki either. Hell, Slinger's got it tough too. His tosses have to be spot on for us to do anything with them. As for us, we have plenty of concerns. Body control, chakra control, peripheral vision, aerodynamics, geometry, timing, even gravity. But above anything else, we gotta have speed. If we drop the ball, someone goes hungry longer than he should. That's bad for business.

"Here's your first lesson. Shinobi aren't the only ones who take pride in their jobs. If you think you're going to wuss out on me, then leave now. If you're staying, then it's time for lesson two. Put on your uniform and the shoes, and stand in front of the window."

Sakura slipped on the pink blouse and deftly tied its matching apron around herself. But when she went to pick up the shoes, she could barely lift them. When she dropped the ugly-looking things to put them on her feet, they landed on the wooden floor with a huge thud.

"Setsuna-sensei, what _are_ these things?"

"Training shoes, with lead weights in the toes and heels. As you so innocently put it, you can jump already. But you lack the endurance to do it for a full work shift. These will help you build up to that. For now, they serve a different purpose, to anchor you for this part of your training. Put 'em on and get over there, and you'll get the picture."

Sakura complied meekly, a little afraid of what might be coming. Looking through the window into the kitchen, she took note of the wide grin on Slinger Ozaki's face. The pink-haired girl wasn't too encouraged by that. When a huge Naruto-style ramen bowl came flying at her out of nowhere, her fears were confirmed. _I am SO screwed_. Frozen in place, she closed her eyes and braced for the hit. When it didn't come, Sakura opened her eyes slowly – to see the bowl held in Miki's palm, inches from her face. The frizzy-haired woman smiled encouragingly.

"It's only kitchenware. There's nothing to fear. All you have to do is catch it for now. The rest will come to you."

"What," Setsuna said dryly, "did you think the restaurant business was any easier than the ninja world? Fear has no place in either. Confidence is the key in both. Always keep it in mind. Ready to try again?"

If she kept on the way she was, she would never be worth anything as a shinobi. Sasuke was beyond her, and Naruto had left the team because of her. _I can't hinder them any longer. I have to find something I can be good at! If I can't even be a waitress, what CAN I do?_ Glaring at Slinger, Sakura crooked a finger, her inner self lending a little inner fury.

"Do your worst."

"You asked for it!"

A bowl the same size as the first streaked towards her. This time, Sakura concentrated her chakra in one hand and snagged it easily.

"Pfft. Anyone can do one at a time. Let's crank it up!"

Slinger split her attention by firing two bowls to either side of her, but Sakura got both, even if it strained her reach.

"You've only got two hands, girl. Deal with this!"

Sakura's eyes widened as Slinger hurled three bowls at her this time, in quick succession. _What do I do?_ As she wavered, Setsuna's eyes bored into her student. _Time to see if all those smarts have a quick wit behind then, or if you're just a bookworm._

Looking over at Setsuna, Sakura flashed back to what the older woman had just done, and turned her attention back to the bowls. Catching the first, she flicked it into the air lightly, dishing off the second quickly to the table beside her, and snaring the first and third in her hands.

"Is that all you've got?"

Setsuna chuckled as Slinger's eyes lit up sadistically. _Bad choice of words, girl_.

Within seconds, the space between Sakura and Slinger looked like an assembly line of pottery, bowls, dishes and trays flying at the pink-haired girl in increasing numbers. As Slinger increased the number of items in each round, his tosses got wider, forcing Sakura to bend her body all over the place, unable to lift her feet in the heavy shoes.

Finally, as Slinger finished hurling eight items at her, one soared out of her reach. Gathering her chakra, Sakura prepared to jump for it – until Setsuna's voice rang out.

"Time out! Slinger, cease fire."

The pink-haired girl looked over at Setsuna, who lazily snared the errant dish.

"Do you know why I made you stand in one place?"

"Because I'm not ready for more?"

Naruto's aunt shook her head.

"No, although that was a concern. The point of this drill isn't just to teach you how to snag stuff and juggle large orders. It's also to teach you the limits of your reach."

"Aren't I supposed to work on that?"

Setsuna waggled a finger at her student.

"Yes, but only so much. Did you really think Miki and I only handle one order at a time? We've got way more than that when the lunch rush hits. When that time comes, it's important to know which throws are meant for you, and which aren't. Slinger will only throw something the target waitress can reach. The ones you can't reach are somebody else's problem. If you get distracted by them, you're messing up your own duties."

"Like on a mission, you mean…"

"Know your duties and stick to them. You'll never go wrong."

"But isn't that too strict? Sometimes you have to improvise!"

"True," Setsuna admitted, "but that requires timing. You need to know what everyone in the team can accomplish. It only comes with experience. Jump in to save someone who was getting around to turning the tables, and it screws the whole fight up."

The pink-haired girl wondered if that was all Setsuna meant. Being Naruto's aunt, she had to know about Team 7 breaking up. _If everyone has their duty, then maybe mine is to leave things alone for now. To concentrate on myself. Knowing Naruto and Sasuke, they must be training right now too. Trying to butt in on either of them would only create more problems._

Looking around the restaurant, Sakura took in the high-ceilinged room, beams and rafters crisscrossing it. _This is my world now. And I'm going to rule it before I'm done!_

"So what's the next lesson?"

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Honestly, Hinata. How would I know what the next lesson is? If you're serious about creating a new style, there _is_ no lesson plan. You learn whatever you want to learn."

Yuuhi Kurenai ran a hand through her long raven hair, puffing out a breath as she usually did when exasperated. She, like many people had been glad to see Hyuga Hinata change into something stronger than she'd been. Unlike most of them, Kurenai actually had to _live_ with Hinata. She felt guilty saying it, but it had been easier dealing with her when she'd been meek and introverted.

The "new" Hinata was as hyper as Naruto when it came to exploring the things she'd once avoided. The girl was constantly looking for new experiences, absorbing new experiences with the same zeal as she did the latest jutsus and attacks. It was like she was making up for twelve years of isolation by being anywhere and everywhere about the village in the span of a month.

She had learned taijutsu from Gai and more from Asuma, in hopes of finding a fighting style that worked for her. That was coming along, but Hinata was still looking, still not satisfied.

"I think I've finally figured out what I want to add."

After fighting Neji, Hinata had become far less willing to eat her words than before. She didn't sound like she was whispering anymore, although she'd probably never get as loud as Naruto.

The Hinata that greeted her now, coming down from her room, was living proof. Her hair had been totally redone, forehead protector holding back parted bangs that showed off wide, newly expressive eyes. In the back, Hinata had grown her hair out to just above her shoulders, letting it flow freely, if messily.

Hinata had even spent some of her saved-up allowance on a new wardrobe, with input from Kurenai and some fashion magazines. It didn't all look normal, but it was more colorful than she'd ever been before. Right now Hinata was in "training mode," dressed in a sweatshirt, oversized T-shirt and loose-fitting jeans for ease of movement.

The shy girl she had taken in was becoming a new person, Kurenai mused. _I think I can take a few annoyances for Hinata's sake. Let's see what she becomes on her own_.

"What did you have in mind?"

Hinata's eyes lit up.

"Genjutsu. Illusions can be pretty powerful. I ought to know. I've been living one all this time, holding myself back. It's the perfect plan. We don't even have to go out and get another teacher! You've mastered plenty of illusions!"

Yuuhi Kurenai did indeed know plenty of illusions. The problem was, _her_ illusions were mostly done from a stationary position, to support teammates. Hinata's new focus was on mobility, hitting from many different angles at once, instead of specific spots like the Gentle Fist required. Nothing Kurenai knew would mesh with that.

"They're not suited to your style. You need someone who can do genjutsu on the fly, something that's rare even for Jounin. It'll be a big surprise to your foes."

Hinata looked disappointed.

"Who ever heard of someone with that kind of power?"

"It's not surprising," Kurenai said, looking up at the ceiling. "The only one in the village who knows how to do it doesn't like to talk about it."

"Why not?"

"The man who taught her ultimately betrayed the village. Technically I shouldn't even be talking to you about that, but I think you can be trusted. Besides, the _really_ forbidden stuff is beyond you _and _her. There's no danger in mentioning it."

Hinata shrugged.

"As long as you think it'll help, I'll go."

"Child," Kurenai said, "in the end it's going to be your fighting style. Don't force yourself to do something you won't enjoy."

Her protég's expression didn't change much, other than a little smile at the corner of Hinata's mouth.

"How will we know if I enjoy it unless I try it? Making up a new style is important, but learning anything new is just as nice. It's more than I ever got to do before."

The bitterness Hinata still felt towards the Hyuga was plain in her voice. For all the talk about improving herself, or impressing Naruto, Kurenai knew there might be another motive behind her actions. Revenge. And apparently not just against her father and younger sister Hanabi. The very first thing she'd asked Gai to teach her was how to improve her speed. Based on how hard Hinata had thrown herself into those lessons, her target was clear. _She's gunning for Neji. Everyone needs to be fast, but to beat a Hyuga, you need to be even faster_.

"Look, let's get it into the open," Kurenai sighed. "You want to learn something that can beat the Byakugan, Gentle Fist _and_ the Kaiten. You've made it clear you won't use the Hyuga-ryu, which means you have to add more outside influences. I'll introduce you to the genjutsu user I just mentioned, but I'll warn you first – your lessons are to stay a secret. Even hinting you're learning some of her techniques could land you in very hot water."

"Does she have a name, or what?"

"Trust me. The less said, the better. You'll know well enough when you're introduced."

_And I can keep it a surprise from her new "teacher," as well._

_---------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Whaddaya want?"

That these were the first words out of Mitarashi Anko's mouth when she opened her door did not bode well for Kurenai's plans. The Special Jounin yawned as she squinted at Kurenai and Hinata, obviously just arising from another late night. The red-eyed woman cursed under her breath. _Well, it's not like this was ever going to be easy._

"I have a proposition for you, Anko. Care to let us in and hear it?"

The other Jounin opened the door fully, and walked back over to flop back onto her bed.

"Knock yourself out."

Kurenai rolled her eyes. She was pretty easygoing, but this was ridiculous.

"Anko, dear, I've brought you a student. You might want to start paying more attention to me if you actually want to teach her."

Anko was a Special Jounin because she was a special case – nobody knew what to do with her. On the one hand, what Orochimaru had taught her was useful. On the other, letting her teach anyone would be legitimizing an S-class criminal. The Leaf had enough issues without encouraging people to betray the village for power. That Orochimaru had abandoned Anko didn't help; to the old guard that showed her weakness. Anyone so easily manipulated was unfit for much of anything.

Was she about to use her fellow ninja? Most likely. Kurenai pushed down the nagging of her conscience by telling herself it would be good for the Anko to feel useful for once. _We're all looking out for our own interests. She understands that_.

Anko muttered something from the bed, which Kurenai had to lean in to hear.

"What's in it for me?"

This was the question she'd been waiting for.

"I'm surprised you had to ask. Don't you get it? This is your chance to show the village you can be a good sensei. Not only that, you can stick it to Orochimaru by giving away his precious techniques. What's to consider? You ought to be jumping at this opportunity."

"She might. I won't."

Kurenai turned, and Anko sat up, to see Hinata glaring at both of them.

"Kurenai, I want to learn and become somebody that I define myself. If it's all the same, learning new things isn't important enough that I'd want to manipulate someone to do it. We're better than that. Anko-san's better than that. If it has to come to this, I'd rather not go through with it."

She turned to leave, but Anko's voice stopped her.

"Hey, girl. Your sensei's a jackass, but you've got something I didn't have when I was your age – some spine. Anyone with that needs to be brought up right. If you want to learn, I'm game."

Kurenai nodded.

"You'll do it, then?"

"I ain't doing it for you. I'm doing it for the girl. If you want her to learn from me, then leave. I'm not a hotshot Jounin, but I'll be damned if I gotta crawl to you for acceptance."

_Trust Anko to try and turn things around when she got a chance._ Kurenai didn't blame her for it. Though why Hinata would suddenly get so noble about it was beyond her. The girl had been so set on learning everything she could, hadn't she? But if that was how she wanted to play this scenario, then that's how it would be.

"Fine, I'll get out of your way. Have fun."

Fun was the last thing on Anko's mind as she watched Kurenai leave. Hinata arched an eyebrow as the signs of a hangover completely disappeared off the Special Jounin's face. _Was it an act?_

"Very nice, girl. You have the good cop-bad cop routine down. Kurenai didn't even have to signal for it."

"What makes you think I wasn't serious?"

Hinata could see it in the older woman's eyes without having to ask. Fear. The fear of many things – betrayal, shame, and loneliness. Fear that opening up to someone new would only end in tragedy again. _That_ was what kept her a Special Jounin, not being gullible. There was no place for fear on the battlefield – that was the only lesson Neji had ever taught her. Nobody could really call Anko on it because she'd put on the "Naruto mask," hiding her fears with false bravado.

"You and your sensei aren't the only ones who've tried to pry the things Orochimaru taught me out of my head since he left. The Anbu interrogated me, people tried to blackmail me. They try to tempt me with all the things they think I want, and none of them has ever succeeded. Don't think you will, either."

Hinata sighed. Anko reminded her a little too much of the "wild" Hinata she'd sealed away for so long, and the older woman was about as irritating as that split-off soul had been.

"Just now you said I had some spine, and you didn't. That's not right, if you ask me. You have strength – it's just buried away where you're unwilling to get to it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know much about Orochimaru. But if he was anything like a normal sensei, he wouldn't have taught you unless you could stand up to it, and stand up to him. A weakling never would have survived training with him in the first place. You're not weak, just scared that the things people say about you are right."

Anko turned away, snapping a curse at her. Hinata's expression didn't change.

"What's the point of doing that? Running away from your problems will just dig you a deeper hole. I can tell you firsthand; the only way to change the way others see you is taking a chance at being what you want to be. I'm trying it, and I'm happier than I've been in a long time. That's why I came here, to learn about something I missed out on. All I want is a chance to experience something new. You can even test me to see if I'm worthy."

"Fine! You want a test? I'll give you a test. One genjutsu, that's it. If you think you can handle the rest after mastering it, then come back here. I doubt you will. Nobody else ever has."

Hinata sighed.

"You're angry at the world because they assume things about you that aren't true. The same thing happened to me. But getting angry about it or ignoring it won't change anybody's mind. If you're happy, doing something you want to do, being the person you were meant to be, people will change the way they look at you. Naruto seems to believe that, and so do I. Why not give teaching a chance?"

"Save it. I'm tired of arguing with you." Anko growled. "Come closer, girl. I'll give you what you want. Don't regret it."

"Trust me. I won't, and neither will you."

-----------------------------------------------------------

Hinata was beginning to rue that prediction. It had been two weeks since her confrontation with Anko, and she was no closer to understanding what the Special Jounin had taught her than she'd been when first hearing it. She'd set herself the goal of having the genjutsu ready for the Chuunin Exam Finals, so she could show everyone that she wouldn't be lagging behind, but that deadline was only a few days away now.

Anko hadn't made it easy. The lesson had consisted of a few mumbled phrases before she'd ushered Hinata out the door. The purple-haired Genin wasn't about to let Anko be right about her not being able to learn it by going back and asking for help.

_Genjutsu is about will. You have to get control over the target's will, so that they see and feel exactly what you want them to. Other people use regular illusions, and overwhelm the target's soul with chakra. What I do is different. A wise guy once said the eyes are the windows of the soul, and he was right. If you can hold your target's gaze, and find the window into their soul, you don't even need to blow as much chakra as Kurenai and her buddies do on their techniques._

She'd tried it on Kurenai, passing it off as a staring contest, but that had gone nowhere. Shino was training with Kiba for his fight, so those two were out. In desperation she'd even tracked down the three little Academy students who were always hanging around Naruto, only to find out they blinked too much, got giggly, and generally distracted her into playing games with them. Fun, but it wasn't getting her anywhere.

Something had to give, but when? How? _What does she mean by 'the window of the soul?'_ The whole thing was a bunch of nonsense. If Anko had wanted her to just go away, Hinata would have. _She didn't need to keep me hanging on a riddle_.

All this thinking was getting her hungry. With Kurenai out training Shino, there was no point in cooking dinner just for one. _Might as well go out and get something_.

That thought ended when she opened the door to leave, and saw someone about to knock.

"Now you're the last one I thought would visit me."

Hinata really did mean that. Of all the people that could possibly have shown up, her younger sister Hanabi – the new heir of the Clan – was probably the least likely to pop up. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?"

"Father sent me. He warns you that just because you do not live as a Hyuga, you are still a representative of the Clan. You are not to bring shame upon the Clan with frivolous actions and mongrel combat styles."

Just the tone of Hanabi's voice set Hinata's teeth on edge. The Hyugas used formal, archaic speech in private, as if to emphasize how much they held themselves apart from the rest of the Leaf. Living with Kurenai, Hinata had gradually cast those words out of her mind. Now her sister was bringing it all back.

"I'm sorry he feels that way, but it's none of his concern. When he cast me out, he lost the right to control my life. If I were you, I'd get out from under his thumb too."

Hanabi bristled. She obviously didn't share her sister's opinion.

"I do not need advice from an outcast. I am simply here to deliver a message. By force, if need be. You are not important enough to the Clan that force is not an option."

Hinata watched as her sister's body tensed, and Hanabi settled back into a defensive stance. The whole thing was rapidly turning into the one thing she didn't need with her fighting style unmastered – an actual fight. _Then again, if you can't master Anko's riddle normally, you might as well try it in combat._

Slipping a hand in the pocket of her jeans, Hinata pulled out a pair of fingerless gloves, which she slipped on, and stepped outside. After closing Kurenai's door, she shrugged.

"I don't want to fight you, but I'm not just going to stand here and let you or Father push me around. If you walk away, we can both forget this ever happened."

"I do not take orders from you."

Her rational side said to flee or talk her way out of it; she couldn't counter the Gentle Fist. Hinata wasn't about to listen to that. _I'm done stepping aside for what everyone else wants. Naruto was right. I'm have to be what I want to be. And if that means doing it by force, maybe it's the only language the Hyuga Clan understands._

"Very well. If I can't get you to leave with words, you're not leaving me with any option but a fight."

Hanabi activated her Byakugan.

"A foolish gesture. Father was right about you."

Hinata arched an eyebrow at her sister.

"_That_ has yet to be determined."

When Hanabi didn't move out of a defensive stance, Hinata's eyes narrowed. _She wouldn't have enough chakra to do a Kaiten with range like Neji, so she's not charging up. If I didn't know any better I'd say she's…scared? Of ME? That's impossible._

Or was it? Hanabi _was_ five years younger. Smaller, less powerful, and likely slower after the speed training Hinata had done with Gai. But with the Gentle Fist that didn't matter much. Score enough glancing hits and the odds would even out. It had to be something else.

Then it hit her. Her father's message was the key. Why would he be so scared of what a no-talent, disowned daughter did with her life? Hinata had been disowned. She didn't even _count_ as a Hyuga. The Clan's image was safe from her. What _wasn't_ safe was the Clan's new heir. Hanabi was young – more easily influenced. If Hinata found success doing something totally out of bounds for a Hyuga, Hanabi might follow. To combat that, Hiashi had demonized her. Hanabi looked at her like she was insane, dangerous somehow. And to a young child, that image would have tremendous power.

Pieces of Anko's puzzle slowly began sliding into place. _She said other genjutsu users overwhelm their target's will. They take control by force. But her other point was that if you can find something to empathize about with the target, and keep them entraced with your gaze, you don't HAVE to overwhelm them – they'll let you right in._ What other alternative did she have anyway? Hinata knew if she closed to fight Hanabi straight up, it would be a losing battle. _Might as well see if I've figured out Anko's little riddle_.

"I'm sorry, sister."

_That_ got her attention. Catching Hanabi's gaze, Hinata activated her own Byakugan. Focusing on the chakra points in the eyes would make it easier to follow Hanabi's head movements and stay in eye contact.

"What do you mean, you are sorry?"

"My weakness pushed you into the role of the heir. Now you're stepping into the same place that crippled me for so long. I may not like you, but even you don't deserve this."

Hanabi made as if to shake her head, but her sister cut her off.

"You think I'm crazy, right? Father's told you as much. But look at the facts. Look at your life, and then look at mine. I'm living, learning, and experiencing all sorts of things that I could never have seen if I'd remained the heir, part of the Clan. And Father calls that crazy, something to be scared of. You've never wondered why?"

"No…"

The younger Hyuga's voice was strangled, and her legs tensed as though to spring backwards. Hinata made her voice even softer, back to the way it had been. _Emphasize the similarities between us, not the differences._

"I'll tell you why. It's because he lost control of me, and I exploited it. I freed myself. And now he's scared you'll do the same. Scared you'll actually be normal."

"Why would I want to be 'normal' if it means being _you_?"

"You'd rather be an all-powerful Hyuga and not know anything that's going on outside the house? Life is for living, not just existing in. If you're not doing what you want, what you love, you'll never be happy. Father took that away from me, and now he's doing it to you."

"He would never do that. I am his heir, his student."

"Sister, you're neither. You're just a pawn in Father's elaborate game of life. What kind of hobbies do you have? What do you like to do in your spare time? I'll tell you what the answer is. You don't have hobbies. You don't have spare time. All of _your_ time is _Father's_ time. You do whatever _he_ has planned for you."

Hinata gazed even harder into her sister's eyes.

"That's not life, Sister. It's slavery."

When Hanabi's eyes shot wide open, Hinata readied herself. She sensed this might be her one chance to master Anko's first technique. Concentrating on the eyes in front of her, she thought rather than spoke, doing her best to push those thoughts outwards to Hanabi. _You and I are alike. I am right in front of you, talking to you. You are talking with me. I am not moving. You are not moving. We are at a standstill._

That in itself was no big deal. She could do it all day long and not know if she'd succeeded. The key was Hanabi's reaction if she moved. Hinata lifted her foot, and took as large a stride forward as possible, moving up a few feet closer to Hanabi without breaking eye contact. The younger girl didn't even blink. _Good grief, it worked. Well, don't just stand there, keep her off guard!_ Hinata spoke again, even as she took more steps forward.

"I won't tell you to be me, Sister. I know you probably don't want that. But I _will_ tell you to be yourself. The only way you'll ever know what that means is if you break free of Father – and the Clan. The only way the Clan will change is if our generation does it. I can't do it alone."

Hanabi gritted her teeth and snarled a reply.

"I will not help you."

"Oh, I think you will. You're too smart not to see the truth for what it is."

The Hyuga heir stared hatred at her older sister, until Hinata's image disappeared.

"Since the only truth you'll accept as you are now is battle, you've left me no choice but to fight you. I hope we won't have to do this again."

Hanabi slumped to the ground as Hinata's knife-edge chop crashed into her temple from behind.

"Garyuu Kenpou: Hebime Odoroki (Self-Taught Fighting Style: Snake Eye Surprise). Welcome to the world of the living, Hanabi."

------------------------------------------------------------

When Hyuga Hanabi opened her eyes again, an unfamiliar sight greeted her – a ceiling not her own. She lay on a comfortable bed, not at all like the stiff futon that awaited her at home. _Where am I?_ Distant voices answered that question for her.

"So you're telling me it actually worked?"

"Just barely. If I'd made one mistake, or if she'd been bluffing, she'd have had me in the perfect position to give me the beating."

Kurenai and Hinata. Why had they brought her in to recover? Why not simply leave her on the street, if she was such a bother? Hanabi rose to leave and opened the door of Kurenai's guest room. Unfortunately, Hinata and Kurenai were parked right in front of the stairs leading to the first floor.

"Oh, good. I was afraid you'd really been hurt, the way you collapsed."

Hanabi, already humiliated by losing to an outcast, went bright red.

"I do not have to stay here and listen to this."

Hinata sighed. _And again we come to Hyuga pride_.

"I won't force my opinions on you. That's Father's game, and he plays it well. If you really want to be his puppet, then by all means, go home. Just be sure to remember one thing."

"What now?"

"That you're going back to dressing like a doll and being whatever Father wants you to be. Me, on the other hand? I'm free. I can wear leather pants and watch him hyperventilate about it disgracing the Clan."

Just as Hanabi was digesting that, her sister spoke again.

"Ooh, I almost forgot! A NAVEL RING!"

The younger Hyuga fainted dead away. Kurenai sighed.

"Hinata, dear, you didn't mean that, did you?"

"Well, maybe not the piercing. But fashion is fashion. Leather is in this year."

Kurenai held her head in her hands as Hinata went back up to her room, humming a tune. _Naruto, you've created a monster._

Later that night, Kurenai dropped in to see how the girl was doing. _It's not often you score a psychological victory like that_. When she opened Hinata's door, she caught sight of the girl laying in bed doing sit-ups, headphones perched on her ears and blasting away.

When the Jounin entered, Hinata switched off her music and sat up fully.

"What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just checking up. I figured you'd be celebrating."

The purple-haired girl shrugged.

"I got lucky. I was angry; nearly dug my own grave challenging Hanabi to a fight before I was ready. If she hadn't delivered my father's message, I'd have been the one that got beat."

"Well, consider it a lesson for the future. Nobody ever said creating a new fighting style would be easy."

"Yeah," Hinata murmured. "Lord only knows how I would have turned out if I'd actually been _good_ at the Gentle Fist. Locked away, pale as a ghost, never seeing the sunlight, squashed under my father's thumb. What a life. I almost feel sorry for my sister. Almost."

"Why almost?"

"She believed my father when he said becoming the heir was wonderful, something to aspire to. Now, hopefully, she knows the truth. What she does with it is up to her. If she's as smart as he says she is, I've got no reason to feel sorry for Hanabi."

"Why did you do all of that? For revenge?"

Hinata shook her head.

"No. Change has to come from inside before it can be helped from outside. I'm just making the chink in their armor somebody can blow wide open someday."

Kurenai looked at her "daughter" in amusement.

"You don't want to do it yourself?"

Hinata laid back on her bed and crossed her legs.

"Only the Hokage has the power to push for that kind of change. I may want to be stronger, but being the leader? That's not something to strive for without really being dedicated to it. Right now I'd be satisfied just knowing what I'm going to be like once I've got my own identity."

Kurenai leaned back against the wall, looking out over the village to the stadium, where the Chuunin Finals would start soon.

"I suppose you're right."

Hinata turned and looked out the window as well, thinking of what would happen when Naruto fought Neji. _I've taken the first step in changing my Clan, but I'll still need help. Let's see what happens when they fight. If battle is the only thing a Hyuga understands, Neji may finally have to change his mind. _

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I think I like this system. The longer an update is delayed, the more requests I get to hurry up, and the longer the chapter gets. Okay, maybe not. Anyway, life is settling back down for me, so hopefully I won't have as many personal problems to interfere with my writing.

Anyway, you're free to enjoy the chapter for what it is, or to flame me. Do what you like. I'm through stressing about it. As for the ones who choose to offer criticism in the form of trashing me, my writing style, and my stories, spew all the venom you want. You know who you are. You might as well save your crap for someone else. This is the only way I know how to write, and if you don't like it, don't read it. It's that simple. Spare us both the pain.

Next: The Chuunin Finals. Naruto vs. Neji. Things blow up. Lots of things. 'Nuff said.


	17. The Burdens We Bear

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 17 – The Burdens We Bear**

Summary: Ino took a little trip inside Naruto's head, and nearly got herself skewered by the Ninetails, before Naruto found her. The two of them have formed an awkward friendship – although how much time they'll spend together is iffy, after Naruto met Tenten's family and accepted the job of "policing" her brother Tenji.

Meanwhile, Sakura began training herself to catch up to her former teammates, and Hinata sent a message to the Hyuga Clan by beating Hanabi and learning the first of Anko's genjutsu techniques.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will learn as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

[ ] – Misc. Speech

Remember when you were young,   
You shone like the sun.   
Shine on you crazy diamond.   
Now there's a look in your eyes,   
Like black holes in the sky.   
Shine on you crazy diamond.   
You were caught on the crossfire   
Of childhood and stardom,   
Blown on the steel breeze.   
Come on you target for faraway laughter,   
Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!

-Pink Floyd, "Shine On, You Crazy Diamond"

[Shouldn't you be sleeping, Naruto? Us ferrets are the nighttime species, not humans.]

Naruto turned from his perch on top of a stray boulder, where he'd been staring at the darkened Uzumaki training grounds. Itachi (for that was who had spoken) scurried up the rock and onto Naruto's shoulder. The Genin turned back to the training ground.

"Just thinking. I got that fight with Neji in the morning, and with all the stuff I've been learning, from summoning to the stuff about my past, I haven't had time to plan anything out for that Hyuga punk."

[Like you would have anyway. You didn't plan anything ahead when you fought that dog guy either.]

"I didn't have advance warning I was gonna fight Kiba. Besides, it was mostly a slugfest. You can improvise in those. This guy is different. Way back when, I lost to that Rock Lee guy in a fight. Now I'm hearing Neji's not only better than Lee, he was his class's #1 rookie. Their Sasuke. Tougher fight all around. And he's got that freaky Byakugan like Hinata."

[What's the big deal? It's only a test. Mess up and you can just take it over again.]

Naruto shook his head at Itachi's dismissal of the Exam.

"I can't think of it that way. There's a lot of things I have to live up to, even if only a few people are gonna know. Everyone's been teaching me stuff, and I've been training, to get past this in one shot. Not gonna let them down."

"You also can't be killing yourself just to look good to others."

Naruto turned again and saw Setsuna walk into the training ground, just in from work, dressed in her uniform. His aunt yawned.

"My job's just acrobatic stuff all day, and I'm beat. You may be a kid, but don't think you're invincible. Sleep is just as important as training."

"One more run," he grumbled. "Just to see how I'm doing so far."

Setsuna shrugged and continued back to the house.

"Suit yourself. But I think you should know you're only grasping half the training."

"Can we quit it with the riddles? What am I doing wrong?"

The older Uzumaki just kept on walking, turning her head back when she reached the door.

"The Invisible Body is weight training and speed training. You couldn't screw that up if you tried. But the Diamond Body is about more than mindless endurance and taking a beating. It's named what it is for a reason. You have to _become_ a diamond."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?"

Setsuna grinned.

"It wouldn't be good training if you got all the answers handed to you. Think about it."

It was lucky for Setsuna she closed the door at that instant. Naruto's roar would have deafened her.

"_WHAT IS IT WITH THIS FAMILY AND RIDDLES?_"

----------------------------------------------------------

After a restless sleep, Naruto was no closer to an answer than before. Slipping out of the house through his window (the safest way to exit), he began to stroll at a leisurely pace towards the site of the Chuunin Finals. As the Genin walked, Setsuna's riddle kept gnawing at him. _Become a diamond_.

"What exactly _is_ a diamond?"

By pure chance, Naruto's route took him past the Yamanaka house. He considered trying to wake Itachi up to come with him, but thought better of it. _Ino may be able to hear animals now, but waking up at six in the morning isn't the kind of new experience she'd enjoy. I'd never hear the end of it_.

He was surprised to be thinking of Ino. Arashi had been letting him recover from burning himself out after summoning Deathstrike, so he didn't know how the Fourth would react to yesterday's events. Knowing his father, it wouldn't be pretty.

But did that matter? For once, there was somebody he could talk to. Somebody who, if she didn't always like him, would still understand him. For Naruto, that was well worth getting chewed out over secrecy.

"You really _are_ insane. The Finals aren't until noon and you're already up after everything that's happened this month?"

Naruto looked up to see Ino leaning out her window.

"You're one to talk, being up with nothing to do."

The blonde girl flipped out her window and landed next to the doors of the flower shop.

"Says you. I'm the low girl in the pecking order, so watching the shop gets dumped on me. The flower deliveries always come in early."

Watch the shop? Why he felt anxious when he heard that, he couldn't really say. Scratching his head, Naruto looked over at Ino, busily unlocking the flower shop and dragging two flower-laden display carts out front.

"So, uh…you gonna be at the Finals?"

Ino kept on working, but she tossed back a comment over her shoulder.

"_Someone_ has to be there to sprinkle a few cheers among the boos. What were you expecting?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "Wasn't really sure what you'd do once you had time to think things over. All that stuff yesterday happened pretty quick."

Ino kept her back turned to him, which made it a little easier to concentrate. At his best, Naruto was always a little fidgety, constantly threatening to explode into motion. Right now he sounded uncertain, which meant he was probably acting all kinds of hyper. Better not to look.

It wasn't real surprising he felt that way. Naruto had family now, and a few friends, but for the most part he was still in need of emotional support. He obviously wasn't getting it from his team, or he'd never have quit. Iruka meant something to him, but he was busy pretty often. _Time to make a decision, girl. If you want to call him your friend, better live up to it_.

"Naruto, relax. I'll be there. Friends are supposed to support each other. Granted we haven't been friends long, but it doesn't mean I don't care. You've been through enough on your own."

"Geez," the blond boy muttered, "you make me sound like a charity case."

Ino turned to him and smiled coyly.

"You haven't heard? I offer the same services for all the socially inept."

Naruto rolled his eyes and prepared to leave Ino to her job, when it hit him. _Can't ask Sakura for the answer to the riddle; according to Aunt Setsuna she was exhausted last night. But Ino's pretty smart. Maybe she'd know_.

"Speaking of services…"

"Very funny," she snorted. "I don't mean _that_ kind of service."

"Huh?"

Ino, seeing Naruto's blank expression, sighed to herself. _You talk about being REALLY socially deprived…_

"Never mind. You wouldn't get it."

"Uh, okay. Anyway, I had a question. What's a diamond?"

"That's a bit abrupt. Why do you want to know?"

Naruto considered lying, but Ino had seen through all of his prior attempts, so he simply gave it to her straight.

"Family riddle. You know how my dad and Aunt Setsuna get with training and stuff. I gotta jump through all these hoops to learn anything. Anyhow, Aunt Setsuna mentioned something about becoming a diamond. Can't understand that for the life of me."

Ino shrugged as she hung up the decorative curtain that went across the shop's door.

"If you don't get it after living with her, why would I?"

"Can't you give me some general info?"

She sighed and walked outside, Naruto following closely. The blonde girl knelt down and traced a five-sided shape in the dirt.

"This is what diamonds look like most of the time. They're mined out of the earth, and then cut and polished down into shapes like this, for jewelry and other things."

Naruto looked at the angles of the diamond, noting how sharp they were. _Does she mean I gotta wear armor and deflect stuff off at an angle?_

"What's so special about a diamond?"

"Well, they're status symbols to women, if they're in jewelry. You can also use them in tools; they're the hardest things known to man."

Naruto considered all of the things she had mentioned. If it was training-related, the status symbol thing was probably out. However… _It's got something to do with angles and toughness or hardness. I just can't figure out what._

"All that fuss over a rock?"

The blonde girl threw her hands up and sighed.

"What am I, a professor? That's just the way it is. People think they're valuable because they're so rare. Go figure it out yourself and let me get to work. I'll meet you at the stadium before the fight."

"Okay, fine. What's with everyone telling me to think about stuff these days?"

Ino giggled as Naruto moved down the street, hands shoved in his pockets. Never one to miss an opportunity, she got in the last shot.

"Because they don't make idiots Hokage!"

------------------------------------------------------

It was probably true, but Naruto didn't have to like it. Thinking all these things over and mastering it all would actually require him to study. Fighting had been easier when all he had to do was improvise. Now he had books and scrolls stacked on his desk, math and other assorted stuff Setsuna had dumped on him.

But as much as it sucked to have to read that junk, what was the alternative? He'd come this far, and still Kakashi had figured Sasuke was the one who would best understand his teachings. Neji loomed right ahead, and after him, maybe even that Gaara kid from the Sand. Anyone who could beat the crap out of Lee was no easy meat.

_I need to buckle down and really make something of myself._ _Too many people's legacies are riding on this. Can't just keep using brute force and guts. If I'm going to be what my parents always thought I'd be, then I gotta be the total package._

He would just have to grit out the process of getting there.

Mulling his future, Naruto missed the sound of someone calling out to him. Eventually, the speaker tried again.

"Naruto! Stop, if you would. I've got something for you."

The blond boy turned around to see Tenten's house, Kazumasa standing at the gate. He stared suspiciously at Tenten's father.

"How'd you know it was me walking by? Aren't you supposed to be blind?"

"To normal stuff, I _am_ blind. I can still see and sense chakra. That shows me living beings, but I'll still bump into walls and things that are inanimate. You, my boy, have the most distinct aura I've ever seen. I could pick you out of a crowd any day."

The Genin rolled his eyes. _Great. One more person in on the Ninetails secret._

"Is that good or bad?"

Kazumasa shrugged.

"If you mean the Ninetails, I can't say for sure. Any good chakra reader will see that you've got two auras. There's a thin red layer visible just underneath your normal chakra."

"Great," Naruto growled. "Everywhere I go, someone's going to know about the demon."

"You say that like you ain't happy."

Naruto didn't bother making a face – Kazumasa wouldn't have seen it anyway. Instead, he simply shoved his hands in his pockets again, looking back out at the village.

"Is it wrong to want to be normal?"

"In your case? No, I guess not. But there's something you should remember, Naruto. Being normal – demonless for you – wouldn't be a perfect existence either. Look at me. Simple mission, enemies that could be dealt with easily, and I still ended up taking a sword slash in the eyes."

"What's your point?"

"My sensei used to say something to people who were doubting themselves. The measure of a man is how he carries the burdens life gives him. Everyone has problems, worries and fears. There's no rhyme or reason why one man gets more, and another gets less. That's just life. People destined for greatness are the ones who soldier on; they push the pain aside and do what has to be done. People who won't amount to much let it get to them, and are beaten down."

Naruto snorted and leaned back against the house.

"Don't bitch, tough it out, and you'll come out on top in the end?"

"Yeah," the older ninja chuckled, "something like that. Remember, kid. You've got people who'll support you. Setsuna, Iruka, Tenko and me, and from the looks of things, that Ino girl. If you learn to get along with her, I'm sure Tenten would be your friend as well. Use that support if you need it. Trying to tough things out by yourself won't get you anywhere but lonely and dead. Take this as a reminder."

Reaching behind him, the Jounin pulled out a blade, which he tossed in Naruto's general direction. The blonde boy caught it and pulled out the weapon, seeing the familiar "Suzaku" carved just above the hand guard.

"No offense, but you didn't sharpen it yourself, did you?"

Kazumasa laughed and waved a hand in negation.

"Took it to the swordsmith. It's usable now, if shorter than it should be."

"A blade's a blade."

"Yes. I'm sure Haruka would be proud to see you with it."

Naruto sheathed the repaired blade, holding it reverently.

"I'd rather she be proud of me for what I _do_ with it."

"That'd work just fine too."

-----------------------------------------------------

Naruto strolled down the path to the stadium a few hours later, Haruka's sword stuffed into the belt behind his back. What Kazumasa had said about handling burdens struck a chord in him, at least when it came to Team 7. Had he overreacted, just deciding to up and leave? Probably. At the very least, Naruto figured he needed to apologize to Kakashi for using the Fourth's memory against his sensei.

The problem was, he'd made his intentions a little too plain. Passing the Exam would have split up the team anyway. Simply tossing them aside was something he shouldn't have done. But with all his frustrations over life, he'd simply boiled over. _Real mature._

Did he want to go back? No. _What's done is done_. He hadn't been lying to himself. The three of them had so many problems being forced to get along it wasn't worth staying together. Naruto couldn't speak for Sasuke, but he was pretty happy not arguing with the Uchiha boy all the time, and not being yelled at by Sakura. But just because they couldn't be teammates didn't mean they couldn't be friends – at least in theory. _First things first. Beat Neji, get your promotion. The rest can wait_.

"Hi, Naruto."

When the blonde boy first heard Hinata's voice, he barely recognized it. After a second, he realized why. _She's not whispering anymore. Guess somebody got a little spine after all._ Turning, he took in the Hyuga girl's new hairstyle and clothes, and arched an eyebrow. _And a makeover, too_.

"When I said you should be what you want to be, you took that and ran with it, huh?"

"Well," she smiled back, "What do you think?"

Weighing his response carefully, Naruto answered as frankly as he dared.

"I'd say you don't look like a Hyuga anymore. To be honest, that's the best thing that's ever happened to you."

Hinata sighed and leaned back against a post in the ground.

"I'd smack you for that, if it wasn't absolutely true. Actually, that's why I was waiting for you to pass this way."

"Come again?"

Hinata hesitated, but screwed up her slowly-building courage and continued on.

"I need a favor from you when you go in there to fight Neji."

Knowing that Hinata cared about her cousin, even if Neji didn't do the same for her, Naruto squinted suspiciously.

"If you're asking me to throw the match…"

He relaxed when she started to laugh.

"No, no. Are you kidding? I know you, Naruto. You'd no more lay down for someone than you would go back on your word. I don't want you to lose on purpose. I don't want you to lose at all."

"Ooookay…" he muttered. "If you already wanted me to win the match, why ask me for a favor?"

Hinata shook her head.

"You were there when I fought him. From what you said to each other, I can tell neither one of you respects the other. When the fight starts, Neji's going to say things that will make you mad. Maybe even mad enough to try and kill him. I know you can do that, even if he doesn't. Don't kill him. That's my favor. Could you do that for me?"

It was Naruto's turn to shake his head.

"He tried to kill you. Why protect that jackass?"

Hinata hugged herself tightly, trying not to quail under Naruto's irritated gaze.

"Neji's still my cousin. I may not like him, but I don't want him dead either, not while he has time to turn things around. If I'm ever going to make the Hyugas change their ways, I need his help."

"What's that got to do with me, other than leaving him alive for you to recruit?"

"I think," Hinata said softly, "the Hyugas have been in power so long they don't care about others. They have this image of themselves that can't be broken normally. Above everyone else, so perfect they don't need to change. The only way to get their attention, maybe the only language they understand, is battle."

"Let me see if I understand. Kick his ass and he'll change his ways?"

Hinata shrugged.

"I tried talking to him, and you saw where it got me."

Naruto laughed, feeling the absurdity of the whole situation.

"Okay, beat him, but don't kill him. I gotta say, Hinata, he doesn't deserve you protecting him. You know that, right?"

"He doesn't now, but he _could_. That's why I asked for your help."

"All right. You got my word on it. But let me just confirm one last time. It's okay if I beat the crap out of him?"

The purple-haired Genin giggled.

"Naruto, if you're going to make him change...you'll _have_ to beat the crap out of him."

The blonde boy cracked his knuckles, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear.

"Well, then. Everybody wins."

-------------------------------------------------

Ino directed a puzzled look at Naruto as he arrived in front of the stadium, watching Hinata go inside.

"What was that all about?"

"Just doing her a favor," he grunted. "Wants me to kick Neji's ass for her without killing him."

Ino rolled her eyes at him.

"Kick last year's #1 rookie's ass without killing him, huh? Just skips right off the tongue, like you're guaranteed to do it."

Naruto grinned back, a little devilish confidence shining in his smile.

"If you think you're going to lose, you will. And I ain't here to lose today."

"Oh, I give up. Do what you like."

"Trust me, I plan to."

As the two blond shinobi were about to enter the stadium, Naruto caught sight of a group of children playing in a sandbox, singing something in that horribly out-of-tune way only the very young could. Straining a little, he just did make out what they were saying.

_Four seasons come_

_Four seasons go_

_All things ebb_

_All things flow_

It was a few seconds before the blonde boy noticed he'd frozen in place, listening to the children's song.

"You've never heard that nursery rhyme before?"

Looking back, he saw Ino turn around and come back to the doorway. Naruto shrugged.

"Hey, you've been in my memories. I didn't exactly have people to teach me nursery rhymes or pals to play with."

"It's just something that parents say to all the kids," Ino said. "My mother told me it means everything will come in time. You don't need to rush to get what you want."

"Kind of like today, you mean, with promotions in the balance?"

She smiled.

"Yeah, a little. Do Hinata her favor, but don't just go charging in. You're not a moron anymore, right?"

Naruto grinned again, Ino's support relaxing him.

"You know it, and I know it. Time to show the rest of the world."

-----------------------------------------------

Sakura looked blearily out at the battlefield, where the finalists were lining up in a row. Still tired from her first day at the restaurant, she'd dragged herself to see the fights anyway. Sasuke would have expected that of her. Naruto probably would too, even if they weren't teammates anymore. In fact, it looked as if Naruto was angling to join a new team. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Ino leaving the floor after walking the blonde boy out there, exchanging barbs with him as she walked.

_What is Ino doing with Naruto?_ Maybe she was hallucinating. Turning to see where the blonde girl would sit, Sakura saw another sight that threw her off. Ino had parked herself next to a Genin in trendy clothes who looked a lot like…_Hinata?_ The pink-haired girl blinked a couple of times, but the picture was still the same.

Sakura's overtaxed brain churned for a couple of seconds, before a common thread emerged. Hinata had always been a silent admirer of Naruto, encouraging him on (even if her voice was so soft he'd never heard her). Now Ino seemed to be Naruto's friend too. _He quits the team and suddenly he's hanging out with people he never noticed before?_

She sighed. It wasn't so far-fetched. Naruto and Sasuke loathed each other, and Sakura had made a habit of putting Sasuke on a pedestal above Naruto at every opportunity. _He left because he wanted to work with people who liked him, or at least were friendly with him._

It didn't excuse him for quitting – not fully. But Sakura at least admitted Naruto had had his reasons. _Who knows? Maybe not having so many distractions helped him train_.

---------------------------------------------------

Naruto would have agreed, if he'd heard her thoughts. Right now he was more intent on figuring out what to do about Neji. That, and one other thing… _Where the hell is Sasuke?_ Of all the combatants, Sasuke had the most reason to be at the stadium, even more than Naruto. Even so, the Uchiha survivor was missing in action. Looking over at his opponent, Naruto shook off his thoughts. _Screw it. It's his life. I got my own problems to handle_.

Genma, the Special Jounin in charge, gave all seven fighters a last hard look and issued what sounded like a standard warning.

"You oughta know how this works by now. These fights are gonna be to the death or until somebody gives up. If I think it's over, I'll step in and stop it. Simple enough, huh?"

Nobody responded, which Shiranui Genma was perfectly fine with. Waving everyone else away, he pointed at Naruto and Neji.

"Opening match'll be Uzumaki Naruto versus Hyuga Neji. Time to start the show. Everybody else park your asses upstairs and wait your turn."

As Naruto paced over to the spot Genma indicated, Lee's words from the Preliminaries came back to him. _The Hyuga clan uses a special form of taijutsu, completely different from the kind that Gai-sensei and I use…the Hyugas can do it the other way, from the inside out, by pushing their chakra into the enemy's Inner Coil Pathways, and attacking internal organs directly._

Hinata had only dared to fight her cousin at close range because she had the Byakugan and at least some ability to counter the Gentle Fist. Naruto had no such advantages. _If I'm going to attack, I won't be able to do much of it in close_. He could call Deathstrike and let the wolf try his luck, but right now Naruto figured he'd better follow Shino's lead and use his trump cards wisely. _That and keep this punk thinking I'm still the stubborn bastard who fought Kiba_.

"Hey, Hyuga! Hope you've been using this month to train! I ain't got the time to sit around and get talked to death like you did with Hinata. I'm goin' places."

Neji snorted, seeing the total lack of self-doubt in his opponent's eyes.

"I will enjoy bringing you back to reality, one slow step at a time."

Naruto brought his hands together, chakra already moving for the Kage Bunshin.

"Save the high and mighty crap for someone who cares."

As Naruto finished speaking, seven clones appeared around Neji, forming a full circle around him, one Naruto for every point on the compass. The other Genin snarled as his Byakugan refused to reveal which Naruto was real. _His chakra is spread evenly between each body. The Byakugan will not help to tell them apart._

"Whether you attack as one or eight will not make any difference, loser."

All eight Narutos drew forth a kunai, speaking in stereo.

"There's only one loser here – and I'm looking at him."

As he spoke, the Narutos in front of Neji charged. As the white-eyed boy sank into a defensive stance, the clones behind him threw their kunai. Naruto thought he'd gotten the drop on Neji until his opponent abruptly charged. _What the hell? Does he have eyes in the back of his head?_ Then there was no time to think, as Neji came into the midst of the onrushing clones, feet and hands flashing out to disperse them. Naruto leaped backwards and dispelled the rest of his copies.

When he caught sight of Neji's smirk, Naruto's lip curled in disgust. _All the talent in the world, the #1 rookie, eyes in the back of his head, and this is what it adds up to. A whining, sneering jackass who still has someone willing to protect him, while I was treated like an outcast for twelve years_.

Neji laughed at the impotent rage in Naruto's expression.

"This is the extent of your power? This is what you will use to become Hokage with? You are a fool. You seek to take with determination what is ordained at birth, destined for a chosen, talented few. By fighting destiny, you deny reality."

Naruto snarled and tensed his body, but Hinata's memory stopped him short. _He may say some things that will piss me off enough to try and kill him. If I DO, then I really will still be a moron._ The goal was to change Neji, not kill him. _I'll give him one shot to learn his lesson – and then my fists will do the changing_.

"Fate and destiny. You know what those are? A pack of pathetic excuses. Don't like your life? So what? You haven't done a damn thing to try and change it, besides taking your frustrations out on others. Don't just assume crap like your way's the right way. I'd rather fight destiny than be like you, letting it roll all over me."

His opponent only shrugged.

"You sound like a yapping little dog. I have no need to listen to the bluster of a loser."

Naruto's vision slowly became a haze of red. _You had your chance_. He silently activated the Kage Bunshin again, a mob of clones forming in an instant. With a small nod, they charged.

Neji got busy dodging, but the smile on his face went from ear to ear. _His tactics are like a child's. Does he think I do not know where the real body is? You cannot hide from me!_ Weaving his way through the crowd, Neji slammed a speared hand into a Naruto who was standing still.

"You fear having your opening points pressed, and you hold back. Did you think I would not notice?"

Naruto staggered, blood leaking from his mouth – and then spat on the ground.

"There you go assuming things again."

Neji's response died in his throat as his "wounded" opponent disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Naruto's voice rang out again, this time from behind.

"How about you assume something right for a change, like that I'm going to kick your ass so hard you'll have to clear your throat to fart?"

When Neji didn't say anything, Naruto started getting suspicious. He threw a punch anyway, since he was close enough. It didn't get him anywhere. Chakra flared as Neji began to spin, stopping the attack just before it hit. Suddenly Naruto felt himself flying through the air from the impact, his last clone disappearing. Sitting up quickly, he took in the crater that now surrounded the white-eyed Genin. _What the heck was that?_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------_

Up in the stands, someone answered his question.

"Kaiten…the Heavenly Spin."

Tenten looked down at the battlefield, watching Naruto's reaction. She was still annoyed with him, but it didn't keep her from staying curious. Her parents had always made Naruto's parents out to be almost superhuman. Was he the same? Had his life driven him to excel like his parents, or was he just a mere shadow of the Fourth and Uzumaki Haruka? This fight would probably answer her question.

Right now Naruto looked stumped. Tenten didn't blame him. _It's Neji's strongest technique. Before an attack can strike him, he releases chakra from all parts of his body, something even some Jounin can't do. By spinning, he forces the attack away. You might call it an absolute defense_.

The black-haired girl leaned forward, anticipating Naruto's counter. _I've seen what the Hyuga bloodline is capable of. What powers does Naruto have?_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------_

"It's over. You are within the field of my Hakke."

Naruto rose to his feet, watching Neji settle into an odd defensive stance. Before the Hyuga boy could act, Naruto snapped back at him.

"Powers, powers and more powers. Everybody's got 'em, and everybody loves to show 'em off. Sasuke, Kiba, Lee, that Sand guy, and now you. Everybody's got something to brag about, huh? Well, so do I."

Neji's eyes narrowed slightly as Naruto unzipped his jacket, removing it and hurling it violently to the ground. The blonde boy put a thumb to his mouth, biting it, and swiped it across his upper right arm.

"You may have deflected my attacks by turning into a human top. Try deflecting this. Shizen Kuchiyose no Jutsu – _WHAT THE &#&!?_"

A loud roar echoed through the stadium, air displaced as something huge entered the area. Looking up, Neji froze. It was understandable, considering how many forty-foot tall, bone-white ferrets had been seen in the Leaf before – absolutely none.

Across from him, Naruto stared down at his right arm, finally noticing the two characters glowing underneath the wolf tattoo; Ferret and Raven. Not only had he missed the wolf tattoo with his blood, he hadn't even seen the other two summoning seals. Looking up at Lord Yama, Naruto roared a question at the ferret chief.

"Do you mind telling me when you accept the blessing next time?"

The giant ferret shrugged. Up in the crowd, Ino slapped a hand to her forehead when she heard Lord Yama's amplified response.

[I THOUGHT YOU KNEW ALREADY.]

"Do I look prepared for giant ferrets to you?"

[LOOK, I ACCEPTED YOUR BLESSING WHEN YOU AND THE WOLVES MADE YOUR PACT. DIDN'T YOU SEE THE TATTOO?]

"My arm was burning like I stuck it in a &$#% fire! I wasn't exactly in the mood to check it. When I woke up the next morning all the damn tattoos were gone anyhow! How the hell was I supposed to know?"

[WHATCHA ASKING ME FOR? I DON'T MAKE THE RULES. ALL I KNOW IS YOU DON'T GET THE POWER TO SUMMON YOUR SUBJECTS UNLESS YOU'RE ACTUALLY IN BATTLE OR THE CHIEFS ALLOW IT. IF YOU'D COME TO FEED ME AGAIN I WOULDA TOLD YOU.]

"It's all about food with you, isn't it?"

[THAT'S A FERRET'S LIFE. SPEAKING OF WHICH…]

Lord Yama looked down at Neji, now glaring warily up at the giant ferret. The chief turned back to Naruto.

[HEY, NARUTO. ALL THIS SUMMONING STUFF IS MAKIN' ME HUNGRY. CAN I EAT HIM?]

Hinata and the entire section around her looked over at Ino when the blonde fell over, giggling hysterically. Naruto scratched his head slowly and glanced over at Genma.

"Hey, Examiner. Are we allowed to have our opponents eaten?"

Had Naruto been behind the Special Jounin, he would have seen a huge sweatdrop going down Genma's head.

"I don't think that ever crossed the minds of the Rules Committee. I guess it's okay, seeing as there aren't any rules _against_ it…"

Naruto shook his head, remembering Hinata.

"Nah, no eating him. I promised somebody he wouldn't get killed. You _can_ beat him to a pulp, though."

[THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT?]

"You'll get ramen after we get out of here, all right? Slinger owes me tons of the stuff by now."

[OH, FINE. AND HERE I WAS ABOUT TO BE THE FIRST CHIEF IN HISTORY TO EAT A HUMAN WITHOUT BEING HUNTED DOWN FOR IT.]

Genma's sweatdrop got even larger when he heard Naruto's reply.

"There's always the Jounin Exam."

Neji stood there, frozen not only in shock but also in rage. How could someone as feckless and undisciplined as Uzumaki Naruto be gifted with this kind of power? The idea of him actually being able to control such an awesome creature was ludicrous. Controlling his fear, he pointed at Naruto, who turned back from arguing with Lord Yama.

"That thing is wasted on you. How can a fool like you have been granted any such abilities?"

Naruto snorted.

"Look who's talking, you pansy. Don't call anybody a fool until this is over. Lord Yama! I tried the direct route, and he spun his way out of trouble. Hit him from underground, and we'll see how he deals with that."

[RIGHT. TUNNELS IT IS.]

Naruto and Neji both leaped back as the giant ferret's paw slashed down into the earth, and the ferret chief drilled his way down. Neji charged forward at his opponent as soon as Lord Yama disappeared, hoping his mobility would make the summoned animal miss its target. Naruto didn't bat an eye, charging to intercept the other Genin. As he moved, he shouted down the hole.

"Try to key in on the sound of my voice and come up!"

"Coming into close range? You hasten your own defeat."

"Tell that to my furry pal. Hit him, and do it now!"

Both boys were thrown backwards with the force of the ferret's resurfacing, earth and rocks flying everywhere. Naruto landed hard on his back, just in time to watch the same chakra glow surround Neji, the force of Lord Yama's impacting paw bouncing off the Kaiten, and deflecting the Hyuga boy mere feet from him. _Damn it! It's like he's made of steel when he does that!_

"Jyuukenpou: Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou (Gentle Fist: 64 Hands of Hakke)."

When Naruto heard Neji's voice, he kicked himself mentally, even as he staggered to his feet. _Too close!_ It was already too late, the other Genin upon him.

Naruto felt, rather than saw, the effect of Neji's attack. Each strike was little more than a jab of a finger or two, but with each new hit, electric agony coursed through his body. Worst of all, he could feel his chakra slipping away, as though it was sealed to him, out of reach. By the time he hit the ground again, coughing up a bit of his blood, Naruto couldn't feel his chakra at all. The effects of that were immediate.

[WHOA. TALK ABOUT a letdown.]

Why had the ferret's voice changed? Naruto's question was answered when he saw Lord Yama dissolve into a puff of smoke, to be replaced by his normal-sized body. _Damn it! Without chakra, I can't sustain the link_. The ferret looked back at him, just managing to say something before disappearing back to his lair.

[Looks like nothing solid can get through that thing…]

Could _anything_ get through?

--------------------------------------------------

Hinata let out a hiss of air through her clenched teeth. She didn't know whether to feel disappointed or guilty about the whole battle. _I shouldn't have made him promise me. Naruto never would have killed Neji anyway; that's not the kind of person he is. Now he's too preoccupied with keeping his word to go all out_.

As if sensing the other girl's plight, Ino's hand descended gently on Hinata's shoulder. For someone who she'd never seen with Naruto much, the blonde girl sounded very confident.

"He'll do what he promised. Naruto's not going to give in to this jackass so easily."

Hinata sighed, looking at Neji standing over his opponent.

"You don't know my cousin. He might be the best the Hyuga Clan's ever produced. Right now I'm not sure even Naruto has enough to beat him. I _want_ to believe, but…I know Neji too well."

When Ino didn't say anything, Hinata looked over at her. Yamanaka Ino's expression hadn't changed. Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, Ino finally spoke, steel in her voice.

"Then you don't know Naruto as well as you thought, do you? He's survived all the crap that life and people have piled on him. This is nothing compared to all that. As soon as Naruto realizes it, your cousin is toast."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Neji's voice sounded faint, coming in and out as Naruto's consciousness swam. After a while, the words got clearer.

"…you cannot stand. Stay there, as you should. Lie before a power you cannot hope to overcome. Admit that your dreams of working your way to the top are mere illusions."

Lying there, on his back, Naruto tuned out the Hyuga boy's gloating. Looking into the sky, he stared into the clouds. _That wasn't too fun, was it?_ Not fun at all. On top of that, something was digging into his back. _Damn rocks. Even the ground's got it in for me. _Reaching slowly behind him, Naruto shifted around as best he could, until his hand touched the offending object – the wrapped cord of his sword's hilt.

_Mom…_

He missed Haruka, even if he'd never really known her. It was stupid, but Naruto was beyond caring. He would never see her smile, never hear her praise him, scold him, nothing. Never even know her touch. All he had of her was a broken sword and a Bloodline Limit. But that was enough. He'd coped with less before. He'd won with less before.

Had Lee given up when Gaara countered his every move? Had Hinata just lain there after Neji broke through her defenses? _No._ _And neither will I. Not as long as I've got the strength to draw a breath. Not for Hyuga Neji, Uchiha Sasuke, Gaara, Orochimaru. Not ever._

Neji stopped talking when he heard the soft rasp of steel on steel. Looking down, his eyes widened as Naruto staggered to his feet, drawing the sword at his back and using the scabbard to prop himself up. Rather than defeat and despair, the blonde boy's eyes burned with a cold, implacable strength.

"Kneel before the likes of you? Never."

Neji sneered, looking at the foot-long blade in Naruto's hand.

"Continuing will change nothing – not even if you have a weapon."

Naruto spat and sheathed the sword, pointing a finger at his opponent.

"You're not good enough to look at it, let alone touch it. People like you make me sick. What's so good about having eyes to see everything, when you can't see things like your own cousin reaching out to you, giving everything she's got? When you think effort and determination are for losers? _WHAT THE HELL'S YOUR PROBLEM?_"

"This," Neji snarled, tearing his forehead protector off. "This is my problem."

Naruto stared at the odd-looking seal on the other boy's forehead. _What is that thing?_

As if sensing his question, Neji answered.

"This is my curse. The destiny that binds me in hatred of the Hyuga Clan. A servant, no better than a bird in a cage. That is what I am, and what I will always be.

"I, and every other branch house member, including my father, have been bound this way since the Clan first split, and it will continue as long as the Clan does. They came for us all, as mere children, and took away our freedom. It is the cold march of fate, an iron hand guiding all of my house into servitude. All because my father was born mere moments after Hinata's father Hiashi. Do you see now why it is useless to fight your fate?"

"All that fuss for a decoration?"

"A decoration?" he shouted. "If it were only a design, the pain of its making would heal with time, fade into memory. It is no such thing. This 'decoration' serves no purpose but to keep the branch house in line, ruled with the fear of having your mind, your very soul destroyed with a simple hand seal. The only escape is death, and even then it violates us, destroying the Byakugan. Even in the afterlife, we are denied our birthright. We are denied even that level of dignity, in the name of protecting the Hyuga bloodline.

"And if the threat of death were not enough, the main house took my father as well."

Naruto's eyes narrowed at this.

"What did you say?"

"When Hinata was three, she was kidnapped by a masked assailant. Hiashi pursued the thief and killed him, only to discover that he was the leader of the Hidden Cloud Village, in the Leaf to cement a truce between our peoples. The Cloud demanded that Hiashi be killed to make up for breaking the alliance – and the Leaf agreed."

"So what's he doing sitting up in the stands?"

"The Hyuga Clan gave up the corpse of Hyuga Hiashi – or rather, his identical twin. My father, Hyuga Hizashi. They could not have known the difference, not with my father dead and the seal extinguished. The alliance was restored – and all it cost was an expendable member of the branch house. That had been my father's destiny, cemented in the moment he was born, seconds too late to control his own fate. As it is your destiny to fall at my hand, and has been since the moment you stepped into this arena."

Pulse thundering in his ears, Neji barely heard Naruto's retort, the blonde boy's voice shaky with the strain of doing anything.

"Never. Not while I can do what your dad did."

"What did you say about him?"

"I said it before, and I'll say it again. You make me sick. You'll take any excuse to hate someone, twist a memory to salve your pride. Did it ever cross your mind that maybe your father was the one who told them to take his body, you stupid son of a bitch? That he loved his brother so much he was willing to lay down his life to keep him safe?"

"_Why?_" Neji screamed, all pretense of Hyuga calm gone. "Why would he do anything for the ones who bound him to die, just because he was born too late?"

"Because he'd accepted that burden, that mission! That's why! Better to live with simple dignity and do his duty than to let his burden consume him, twist him into a bitter shell of a man!

"Get off your high horse. Who in this village doesn't have a burden to carry? Bad memories? Mental scars? You're complaining about your father dying? At least you had one! I never knew EITHER of my parents! At least you didn't have to watch your parents die! Sasuke did! We all have things in our lives that we hate, that are forced on us. Some of us just prefer to deal with them head-on instead of taking it out on everyone else."

--------------------------------------------------------------

High above the fight, the Third Hokage heard Naruto's angry rebuke. Memories flooded back to him of days gone by, when another young man had spoken in such tones. _Arashi…if nothing else, he has your charisma, the sheer force of will_.

To be Hokage was not a question of one's strength so much as a question of how well you could _lead_. Kazama Arashi had not succeeded him because he was a genius. Nor had he been chosen because he was popular. Arashi had become Hokage because his people had been willing to storm the gates of Hell itself for him, had he asked that of them.

_And if his son has inherited even a fraction of his father's blood,_ the old shinobi smiled to himself, _those people will someday do the same for him. Well, once they grow out of this irrational fear of the Ninetails_.

---------------------------------------------------------------

All things aside, Naruto could have done without the shouting match he was in with Neji. _The only thing it's gonna prove to people is that I can't control my temper_. Problem was, without keeping the Hyuga boy verbally occupied, he wouldn't have any time to think of a counter to that spinning move. And right about now nothing was coming to mind.

The key was sight. His opponent could see any attack and react to it, even if it was from behind. And even if something slipped past his attention, the chakra shield would block it. _Lord Yama was right. Nothing solid can get through._

Naruto had something that _could_ get through _and_ blind Neji: the Human Star Technique he'd used on Kiba. Simple light would certainly get through the shield. But that required seals and chakra – and Neji would immediately know what it was, since Naruto could only do it with one hand. _If I could figure out how to vary the chakra that goes into the explosion, I could do the Human Star and the Naruto Bakudan with two hands, and leave him wondering. But how?_

In an instant the answer was upon him. _That stupid nursery rhyme! How did it go, "all things ebb, all things flow?" That's it! Draw in the chakra like you normally would, but stop the wave before it's fully concentrated, like what happens when water hits a tidebreak._

Now all he had to do was find some chakra. _I think I got a pretty good idea where to go_. Reaching down into his mind, Naruto sent a feeler to the darkest corner, the Ninetails' lair. _Hey, furball! Want a chance to kick some ass with me? This guy's been calling me a weakling and a loser from the start. Last time I checked, if I'M a loser, so are you. You gonna let a mere mortal call the "Greatest of the Youkai" a loser?_

_HE DARES INSULT ME? HE DARES TO MAKE A JOKE OUT OF ME!? THIS TIME I WILL MAKE AN EXCEPTION, WHELP. WIPE THE SMIRK OFF THIS INSECT'S FACE. SHOW HIM MY POWER. CRUSH HIS VERY SOUL._

When he felt the demon's rage begin to stir, its fury rising, Naruto began to laugh. _You picked the wrong guy to use that name on, Hyuga_.

"What is so funny?"

Neji's angry expression changed to one of shock and confusion when Naruto began to glow, a faint crimson haze surrounding the blonde boy, chakra welling up where there had been none mere moments before. And all around, a feeling of menace. Pure, unadulterated evil. Naruto laughed again, eyes as cold as ice.

"You are, pal."

Before Neji had the time to blink, or ask what Naruto meant, the other boy had vanished. In his place, four Narutos reappeared, one on each side of him. But where he had expected they would all look the same, each was dressed differently, a design emblazoned on the front of his shirt. The one in front of him was all in black, a turtle on his chest. To his left, the Naruto clone wore white, a prowling tiger on his shirt. Behind him was a Naruto in red, displaying the form of a blazing phoenix. And on his right stood a Naruto in blue, a dragon coiled and ready to strike on his shirt.

"Kessen Ougi: Shiki Bakuretsu Taisei (Battle-Deciding Secret: Four Seasons Explosion Stance). This ends now."

"Explosions?" Neji spat. "Chakra will not penetrate the Kaiten any more than your fists or your animal could."

"Hey, you oughta know me well enough by now," the four Narutos shrugged in unison. "I'm just a stubborn fool who never learns his lessons. Humor me."

"Do your worst. I will not be responsible for the consequences."

"Oh, good. Can I get that in writing for Hokage-sama? I'd hate to get called onto the carpet for maiming your ass."

Before Neji could snap back at him, Naruto's hands began to move. The Hyuga began to spin, chakra flaring outwards. _Stubborn is right. You are simply digging your own grave._ Neji's feeling of triumph lasted exactly three seconds – before it disappeared in a flash of radiant light.

"Katon: Ningen Hoshi no Jutsu (Human Star no Jutsu). You're right, chakra can't penetrate the Kaiten. But light can."

Up in the stands, Hinata winced at the scream of agony that tore out of her cousin's throat. Compared to this version of the Human Star, Kiba had gotten off lucky. Neji had caught the full force of Naruto's light flash with the entire range of the sensitive Byakugan, on all four sides. _If he shuts it off now, he might be able to see at least blurrily – if he does it now_. But knowing how stubborn Neji was, that would never happen. _It's over_.

Trying to clear his vision, Neji barely saw the outlines of the four Narutos surrounding him, circling him. The blonde boy wasn't about to let up. _You better be right about him understanding battle as a language, Hinata. I don't want to break him down to a mental pulp for nothing_. For that was what he'd decided to do. The other boy was too set in his ways to change unless he was utterly, completely defeated – and Naruto would do just that. _Gave my word. I'll keep it even if I have to get a little sadistic_.

Forming the seals for the Naruto Bakudan again, he watched Neji's eyes close in anticipation, and was impressed for a brief moment. It was proof his opponent had saved enough of his vision to even recognize his hand movements. _But a moment's relief and respect is all you're gonna get from me. For now, anyway._

As soon as he saw Naruto's hands stop moving, Neji shut his eyes, determined not to be fooled twice. But just as his vision faded to a cool, neutral black, the Naruto Bakudan slammed into him, knocking the long-haired Genin off his feet. Even as he fell, Naruto continued his verbal assault.

"Come on, you stupid bastard! You can call me a loser all you want, if you can figure out which clone is which type! Come on! Which one's gonna blind your ass, and which one'll blow it up? Which one? _Which one?_ _WHICH ONE?_ ANSWER ME!

"Why do I even bother asking? You'll never be able to guess right. You've dug yourself so deep a hole with hate, anger, and ignorance that you can't understand anyone's viewpoint but your own. A real one-track mind. And until you learn to accept others, to work with them and trust in them, I'll be able to beat you down every time."

"Nothing but a bunch of empty words," Neji gasped. "Is that where your power comes from? Speaking nonsense?"

Naruto looked up into the crowd, picking out faces. His family and friends. Ino, Hinata, the Third, Setsuna, Miki, Slinger…even Tenten. Okay, not Tenten. Well, maybe; he didn't know her well enough to classify her… _Oh,_ _forget it!_ Fine, Tenten counted.

"No way. It's from confidence, the knowledge that the stronger I get, the better I can protect my friends and family. People who I hold dear. As long as they're on my side, I'll never give up, never stop trying to grow and improve."

"You are nothing but a lucky fool."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Neji coughed wetly, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

"You talk and you talk about fighting fate, changing the world. You say that friends and family make you stronger – and yet I do not see it. The dog boy lost to you because he was overconfident. You have not defeated my Kaiten either – you simply found a way around it."

Naruto buried his face in one hand, sighing.

"Unbelievable. Un-freaking-believable. You've got a head like a rock – nothing gets through to you. You know what? Fine. I'll take you on, no flash, nothing. Force against Kaiten, one last time. And if you still don't get the point, then I'm stumped."

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ino's jaw dropped as she watched Naruto dismiss his clones, clothes changing back to normal, and step away from Neji. _Naruto, what are you doing? What kind of stupid, boneheaded, macho lengths are you trying to go to just to keep a dumb promise?_

"_You MORON! Is your word THAT important_?"

The blonde girl went bright red when she saw Naruto wink up at her and mouth the words, "Risk nothing, gain nothing."

_A promotion in the palm of his hands, and he backs off? He'd better hope Neji takes care of him if he loses – or else I'll do it myself!_

_----------------------------------------------------------------_

_She's right. I AM a moron. But who wants to be a genius? Everything would come to you so easily…_

Naruto could have kicked himself. He probably should have kicked himself. But what else could he have done? Neji had to be defeated – and impressed – in order to change himself. One or the other alone wouldn't work.

_So…any ideas, moron?_

Forget getting _through_ the Kaiten for a moment. The bigger problem was surviving the initial collision. _If I knew the secret of the Diamond Body, I MIGHT be able to survive the crash and take Neji out. He can't have much chakra left._

He had to become a diamond. What did that involve? _Think. There has to be a trick to it. There's always a trick._ The one time he had seen Haruka take a shot in the training ground, she'd bounced right off the incoming log without even flinching. That had never made sense to him. No human was that resistant to pain or damage. Ibiki's ruined skull had made that pretty clear, back in the First Exam. It couldn't have been armor or padding; his mother had plainly not been wearing either in the Fourth's memory.

_But if she didn't feel the impact, that means she had some sort of shield or barrier, something that blunted the damage so effectively it was like it never happened_. And it all had to do with diamonds. _Think._ Five or more sides, angles everywhere, like Ino said. The hardest thing known to man.

Angles? _Angles! Son of a bitch! It can't be that simple._ Chakra, produced at an angle to the point of the oncoming attack, all concentrated in a single area, so dense a barrier it would be totally impenetrable. _And if you curl up, like Mom did, you don't spread it too thin. You limit the area that has to be covered, conserve a little chakra_. It all fit together now. _It's not so much that you look like a diamond. You just act like one, presenting one facet or two to the opponent, and making it so hard that you deflect the attack. It bounces away harmlessly_.

There was just one problem. _I suck at geometry_. If he didn't figure out exactly the right angle to produce chakra at, he'd just slam into the Kaiten like he and Lord Yama had before. _And then all bets are off_.

_Oh, screw it. Who wants to live forever anyway? You'd get all wrinkly._

"Hey, Neji! You wanted a big finish, didn't you? Come on! Let's give 'em all something to remember!"

"Ever the showman. This will definitely be your finale."

They both charged, chakra blazing into the air, one boy surrounded in blue, the other pulsing crimson. Seeing Neji's body begin to turn, Naruto took a deep breath. _Now or never. A diamond or a pebble_.

"Finale THIS!"

Both of them disappeared in a roar, light, dust and smoke exploding everywhere.

------------------------------------------------------

Tenten rushed down to the railing on her level as the dust began to clear, straining to see which boy was still standing – if either one was at all. Neji had always seemed so powerful to her, but Naruto had matched him blow for blow. _I guess his parents' blood bred true after all_. But there could only be one winner in a collision that large – the one who had survived. _Who is it?_ Looking harder down at the floor of the arena, she caught sight of two new craters, each one near one of the holes Naruto's giant ferret had dug.

A hand moved weakly, dragging the attached body slowly out of its hole. When a stained, dirt-encrusted bandage peeked out into view, Tenten sighed. _After all that, he lost?_

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

Hyuga Neji staggered to his feet, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. Blinking rapidly, he made out a blurry hole in the distance and lurched toward it. When he arrived, the long-haired Genin stared down at the body lying sprawled beneath him, unmoving.

"All talk…and nothing to back it up."

He savored the moment, leaning his head backwards and drawing a deep breath – until the world exploded beneath him, something launching him into the air to smash into the ground once again. Genma and the gathered crowd watched as the "unconscious" Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke – and the real Naruto flipped out of the hole that had opened under Neji. Walking over to his fallen opponent, Naruto leaned over and waved, trying to get Neji's attention.

"Katon: Zenryoku Naruto Bakudan (Fire Element: Full-Power Naruto Bomb). Next time you gloat, try not to do it so loud. It only makes my job easier."

The Hyuga looked up into Naruto's blurred face, coming to the stunned realization that the disgustingly cheerful fool had taken everything he could give – and totally, utterly defeated him.

"Why? Why fight so hard, when nobody ever acknowledged you, believed in you?"

The Fourth Hokage's son sat down next to his beaten foe, looking up at the blue sky.

"Because it was either that or admit they were right. I wasn't going to dishonor my parents - or me - by doing that."

"_Have_ you proved the doubters wrong?"

"I've opened a few eyes. It won't happen all at once. But every win, every accomplishment is another step. Could be the same for you, ya know."

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"You fight. Fight the image they leveled on the branch house. Make yourself the most kick-ass Hyuga that ever was. Soar so high above them, all of them, that the idea of a main house and a branch house looks ludicrous. And then THEY'LL be the ones who look foolish."

"Incredible. You actually sound like you believe that pap."

Naruto shrugged, an innocent expression on his face.

"Believe it? I know it."

"Then I hope you have some spare time. Because it seems I have some lessons I need to learn from you."

"Anytime, buddy."

"Buddy?"

"Look, shut up and shake my hand. I'll read you the dictionary definition of 'friend' later."

Hyuga Neji shook his head weakly, grasping Naruto's outstretched hand with his own.

"I must be crazy."

The blonde boy laughed, only this time it was a sound of relief, and maybe a little happiness.

"Yup. Feels good, doesn't it?"

"For once, you may actually be right."

Then Hyuga Neji closed his eyes, weariness claiming him, waiting to wake up and step into a new existence. Freedom.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I rarely respond to reviewers directly, but some of you are hard to get in touch with on IM. You'd be surprised how accessible I am on that. Anyway, some of you I felt I had to respond to.

First off…**Hikagi, firedraygon97, Kenhime, Iapetus-chan, Lackey H, alden-san, TokehGecko, Lasaire, pyr00tje, Eternity, Bass Clef, dalpin crage, En Satsu Koku Ryuu Ha, babowonsuni, Licht Sieger, Daniel of Lorien, SxStringSamurai, Hpackrat (John), Lyjin/Leejin, Feoh141, Kuroi Kitsune13, Wolfen Man, Zero Enna 100, shinnotooni** (and many more of you who I know review often but whose names I can't remember right now – forgive me) – Thank you all for sticking with me, and this story, and always encouraging me on with a kind word or two. You have no idea how much you all contribute to this work. A lot of you have been there since the very beginning, when I was just getting my feet wet, unsure if I was going to make a fool of myself writing fanfics. I hope you'll stick around. There's a lot more work to do.

FSA, Victor-Ko – If you can't wait for an update, you're free to read something else. For the last time. I. HAVE. A. JOB. I passed the Bar Exam. I'm a lawyer now, working a full-time job that takes up far too much of my time. To see reviews that have no constructive input other than "GET OFF YOUR ASS AND START WRITING" is not going to motivate me.

Cevgar – Yeah, I tend to get wrapped up in characters who are being focused on and forget others. I'll try to work on it, but it's not always easy with people like the guys above constantly getting on my case. As for summoning, Naruto is learning it specifically because he's a bit paranoid of Sasuke, and summoning is one of the few things the Sharingan can't copy. And no, I'm not going to add any new perspectives soon. Neji is probably going to be the last new one for a long while.

TyRooNe – The bears aren't going to be an easy nut for Naruto to crack. As you may have seen, Lady Sunflower did _not_ trust Naruto, even knowing who he was. But we all know how persistent our hero is…

NuttyScribbler (and everyone else who is complaining about OOCness) – This is an AU, although admittedly it skews very close to canon in some areas. I made that point very clear early on, and nobody seems to get it. There will be some similarities, and there will be some differences. I can't control whether people like them or not. Sorry. Take it or leave it. As for Naruto and Team 7, he admitted in this chapter he overreacted, and gave some more reasons for his viewpoint. That's the best I can do.

Xcom1a – That's as good an explanation as I would have given for Ino understanding the animals. Unfortunately for her, it's not permanent, as she'll find out pretty soon…

WhiteKnightLeo – What the heck is Just Won't Die? Never heard of it.

JerV – Take it as a guarantee. You will NEVER see Naru/Sasu or any other yaoi/yuri of any kind in any of my stories – not unless it's in a nightmare sequence or something.

Fallen Angel X – Eye of the Beholder, my Uchiha Itachi story, is a Naru/Saku, although admittedly I haven't updated it in way too long. I'll get on it, now that Bloodlines is updated.

Mip the Demon Fox – There's no need to panic; Bloodlines can also be found at the Rokudaime site: I heartily recommend that site to fans of non-yaoi fiction, which is the focus of the page. Do note, however, that the webmistress updates a little slowly. FFN will always have the new updates first.

Arf – I saw the forum.anifics.com thread. I read it. I wasn't impressed. That's all I'll say on the subject, and on the person there who (in my opinion) crossed the line.

ManicAlpha – Thank you for the review. It's nice to know there are people out there who enjoy what I do with this story, although I won't take all the credit for making your day wonderful. Life is wonderful all on its own. ;

Akari-Shire – Fanart? Of the lovely Miss Hinata's new look? I wish. If anyone wants to do some, go right ahead. I just wish the description was more detailed…

RZH – Thank you, God. There's finally someone who at least tried to wrap their brain around why Hinata might be acting even the slightest bit different from a terrified mouse and (oh, horrors) breaking canon. Sheesh.

And NOW I'm done. As always, stay tuned, and feel free to drop me an IM or a review with constructive comments.


	18. Hell In A Handbasket

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 18 – Hell In A Handbasket**

NOTE: I have a LiveJournal site that's got its own exclusive story, snippets, previews and assorted stuff on there. It's going to be updated faster and more often than any stuff at FFN. Just a heads-up. Head to the LiveJournal site and search for thesocpuppet, or look at the end of Ch. 17 for the address. FFN apparently doesn't like links.

Summary: Naruto defeated Neji by figuring out how to use the full force of the Naruto Bomb's variations as well as the secret of the Diamond Body technique – fulfilling his promise to Hinata. He also looked to have shown Neji an alternative to his usual griping about fate and destiny.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will learn as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

– Misc. Speech

"Have I ever told you you're completely, utterly crazy?"

Slumped down outside the door to the stadium infirmary, Naruto looked up to see Ino holding out a towel to him, her expression fairly irritated. Plucking the cloth from the blonde girl's hand, Naruto tried to wipe some of the sweat and grime off his face. He merely succeeded in smearing it into a mask. Suppressing a curse, he glanced back up at Ino.

"Only every time we meet. Why so worked up now?"

Ino threw up her hands, sitting down beside him.

"Weren't you the one who said he wouldn't go rushing in like a moron anymore? What's the deal leaping straight into Neji's attack at the end?"

The blonde boy leaned his head back against the cool stone of the stadium wall.

"Guys like Neji, they don't even think you're worth listening to until you've knocked 'em down a peg or three. Only way I could have gotten Hinata started on making him a normal guy was to beat his best technique. That means I had to survive it and then whip his ass. Mastering my family's technique was the key, and I'd have had to field test it to know if it worked anyway."

"Never mind," Ino sniffed. "I should know better than to use logic on someone who probably thinks banging his head against the wall is good toughness training for his forehead."

"No, that's Lee's style."

The bantering pair looked up at the sound of a new voice, to see Tenten striding down the hallway towards the infirmary. When she reached the door, Naruto stretched an arm across it, keeping the black-haired girl from entering.

"I know you're teammates and all, but he's pretty worn out. That, and Hinata's dad just popped in there. From the look on his face, they got something serious going on in there. Probably family business. Let 'em finish what they're up to first."

Tenten considered those words coming from Naruto. Even with everything she knew about him, it still made no sense to her. One minute he was ridiculing her abilities, the next he was spouting off some sappy line about families and togetherness. Fighting with Neji, he'd gone from a commanding presence, lecturing the #1 rookie, to blindly charging in the last exchange, heedless of his own safety. How could Naruto be so complicated, completely different from the way the rest of the village saw him?

The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"You beat him. You beat Neji."

Naruto grunted and straightened out his neck with an audible crack.

"Sure as hell doesn't feel like it, but yeah."

"Lee trained to the point of almost killing himself, and he couldn't. I can't even touch him. Gai-sensei thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread! How did you do it?"

The blonde boy shrugged and slumped wearily back against the wall.

"Let me get back to you on that when my brain is working again. One battle at a time."

Ino looked back up in the direction of the battlefield.

"Speaking of battles, wasn't Sasuke going to fight that weird Sand kid after you and Neji finished?"

Naruto's response was far from enthusiastic.

"Something like that."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You're not going to go and watch?"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Ino, let me save you the trouble and tell you exactly what's gonna happen. He's gonna make a grand entrance. Then he'll pull something out of his ass, something new or flashy, which he probably copied off someone else. Might work, might not, depending on how much he cares about winning right off the bat. Could even look like he's in trouble for a bit. But just in the nick of time, he'll bust a move, win the fight, every girl in the audience will go absolutely nuts, and the Legend of Angsty Bishonen Uchiha Boy will grow to even more epic proportions.

"I'd rather spend my time doing something I might actually be surprised at."

Tenten leaned against the other wall, facing Naruto and Ino, looking curiously at both of them.

"What's your problem? You have more than Sasuke'll ever have. You're the son of a Hokage and a top Anbu leader, you've got a power source nobody else can copy, and an aunt who has so much money she can just waltz into the village, knock down a building and open a new restaurant."

"That's inherited," Naruto snapped. "I didn't work for it. Besides, even if I wanted it, only about a dozen people respect me for it. Big deal. But he can be an asshole to everyone and they fall all over themselves to be his friend. Do I need another reason?"

Ino asked her own question.

"Then why shake Neji's hand? He's not exactly the friendliest person alive."

"If Hinata wanted to save him from himself, there had to be something there worth saving. He wanted to fight his destiny, but he was so bitter it'd screwed his head up. Guy just needed some help."

"Isn't that exactly what Sasuke's like?"

Her friend made a disgusted noise.

"There's a difference between fighting your past and letting it drag you down."

"If you say so."

"Look, when I gotta spend so much of my time doing something that can be taken away from me in an instant, that's a problem to me. Especially when it's something my parents left behind. You guys saw what happened when Sasuke fought that chakra vampire. He took Lee's taijutsu. That's practically all Lee has, and Sasuke just waltzed in and stole it. You want to fight the past and be angsty about it, great. Your choice. But do your own damn work. I'm staying as far away from him as I can."

"That hardly seems like the Naruto who was so earnestly, idiotically trying to convince me I was fighting an impossible battle a few minutes ago."

Naruto, Ino and Tenten looked up to see Neji and Hyuga Hiashi at the open door of the infirmary. Hinata's father looked at the other three children for a moment, then nodded briefly to his nephew and strode silently back down the corridor, in the direction of the battlefield.

Tenten glanced at her teammate quizzically.

"What was that all about?"

"I think," the long-haired boy murmured, "it was about laying ghosts of the past to rest and moving on. And towards that end, please ask me no more. The only the thing the past is good for is learning how not to make the same mistakes in the future."

Naruto grinned.

"Now I believe in miracles. You're starting to sound human."

"If by human you mean more like you, then, regrettably, yes. Something tells me I will need to find a happy medium between old and new."

"Well, that's good. If there's an empty cot in that room, I'm takin' it. You wiped me out so bad it'll be hours before I can kick somebody's ass again."

Neji stood aside, waving a hand towards the inside of the room.

"The world is safer for it, I assure you. Go."

Naruto flopped down on a spare cot and commenced snoring within seconds. Ino rolled her eyes as she sat in a nearby overstuffed chair.

"Whoever's crazy enough to marry him someday is going to have to be a living saint."

Tenten glanced gingerly in her teammate's direction.

"He's too dense to notice it, but I always saw Hinata hanging around Naruto, even if she never said anything to anyone about it. You think she's got a thing for him?"

"Hard to tell," Neji grunted. "With everything she's experienced since she fought me, I doubt she'll be in a position to chase anyone for some time. She told me as much. We both have some serious thinking to do, and not just about what we discussed."

"Wait," the black-haired kunoichi started. "You talked to her? This 'new' Hinata I've been hearing about?"

Neji sat back down on his cot before he answered.

"For a brief moment. She left when she sensed her father coming. The conversation was…enlightening."

"What was it about?"

The Hyuga prodigy, back on his cot, made a satisfied noise and turned his head towards the wall, settling down to rest.

"Talking about a revolution."

Tenten rolled her eyes, looking at her teammate and over at Ino.

"Different talking style, same irritating Hyuga."

A muffled voice came from the long-haired boy's direction.

"I heard that."

"Good, you secret-keeping dummy!"

Ino giggled and settled into her chair. _With friends like these, who needs enemies?_

She would quickly learn just how ironic that thought had been.

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A little vibration was all it took to get Slinger Ozaki's attention, which was really rather strange. In a restaurant with a klutz, a no-talent ninja otaku and a washed-out kunoichi, the cook was the first one to notice something strange afoot.

"You feel that?"

Setsuna, engrossed in the latest issue of _Small Business Weekly_ (or the manga she had concealed behind it, same thing), raised her head.

"Feel what?"

Slinger took a step over and prepared to respond, but something else caught his eye first.

"This. My soup base has ripples in it. Something's shakin' the ground."

"I _told_ you to go on a diet, dumbass."

"I mean it, Setsuna. Thought you said this ain't quake country when you declined the extra insurance on this place."

Naruto's aunt shut her magazine and popped up from her seat at the bar.

"It's not quake country. The only insurance you need in a Hidden Village is for Acts of Shinobi. Or, as the agent described it, Cartoonishly Powerful Drunk Off-Duty Moron Insurance. That costs enough as it is."

The rattling of the restaurant's sliding door interrupted Setsuna and Slinger, both turning to see if it was a customer. Instead, a red streak was all they saw, roaring past them into the broom closet and slamming its door shut. The owner glanced at her cook.

"Miki?"

"Miki."

The two of them walked over to the closet and opened it to find their frizzy-haired friend cowering behind a wall of mops, buckets, and assorted cleaning supplies. Setsuna, tapping her foot on the floor, looked down at her longtime "winglady."

"What's gotten into you?"

All that came out of Tanaga Miki's mouth was a muffled whisper.

"S-s-s-s-s-s-s……"

Slinger leaned forward, straining to hear.

"Whazzat?"

Miki's scream bowled him over, which was probably for the best, as she pointed in the direction of the front windows (and where the stout cook's face had been moments before).

"SNAKE!"

Setsuna turned to look in that direction, and caught sight of a three-headed serpent marching through town. Her only remark was completely, totally unprintable (and quite vulgar).

Slinger's reaction was only marginally safer for delicate ears.

"Who let the #()! shinobi circus into town?"

Setsuna grabbed Miki and booted Slinger in the rear.

"That's not a circus. That's the biggest criminal the Leaf has had in years, and his cronies. Get into the cellar. This is one fight even we can't handle."

Looking out in the direction of the stadium, Uzumaki Setsuna thought about her nephew. _You better watch yourself, kid. The games are over_.

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It became something of a "where-were-you-when" moment in the Leaf. Where had you been when the single worst day since the Uchiha Massacre began? For Naruto, Ino, Neji and Tenten, the answer would always be "sound asleep in the stadium infirmary." With some color added in some stories, completely honest in others, but always the same basic answer. It was pretty safe to say none of the official eyewitness histories quoted any of them about the early moments of Orochimaru's first attack.

Ino, always an early riser, was up first, feeling more of the vibration that had alerted Slinger. At first, she dismissed the motion as related to the fights going on upstairs. Naruto and Neji had certainly caused plenty of damage to the battlefield. But nobody their age, not even the Sand kid (or so she thought at the time), had the power to cause buildings _across town_ to shake and collapse.

Naruto would probably be needed to deal with this. Unfortunately, as Ino knew from experience, waking him up was about as hard as getting Choji to go on a diet. Something drastic had to be done.

"FREE RAMEN!!!"

The boy shot upwards like he was spring-loaded, and then caught sight of Ino and the infirmary behind her. His eager expression immediately soured.

"Shoulda known it was too good to be true."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"This from the girl who mooched a super-size bowl of ramen from me and then chucked the empty at my head?"

"Hey, you convinced me you weren't crazy, didn't you?"

"Are you kiddin'? You went rooting around in my head and almost got filleted by the furball before you'd believe me. You owe me a nice new bowl of ramen as a peace offering. Preferably in a softer bowl."

Neji's drowsy voice intruded on the argument.

"I trust your waking us all up has more of a purpose than arguing about food?"

Ino's response was accompanied by yet another rumble that shook the entire stadium – and the deadpan expression on her face.

"Yeah, I'd say it does."

"Holy ##&!"

All of them turned around at Naruto's shout. The hyper Genin was perched at the window, looking out into the forest.

"There's a huge-ass snake slithering into town and a bunch of little guys comin' in behind it! We're under attack or something!"

Tenten rolled her eyes as the last sentence.

"Or something? What else could it be, a traveling kabuki freakshow?"

Naruto and Ino's faces were deadly serious, the pair speaking in tandem.

"We've seen weirder."

The other girl was about to ask just what when Neji shook his head.

"Trust me, Tenten. Better not to know."

As if the situation wasn't clear enough, several voices could be heard running up and down the hall outside, each with pretty much the same message.

"We're under attack!"

"Okay," Naruto shrugged, "'or something' is out. We gotta get moving and bust some heads!"

Neji might have been friendlier, but his brain was still as sharp as ever.

"Dial down the enthusiasm, Naruto. You were just saying you were too tired to fight anyone. A few minutes of rest couldn't possibly have changed that. My condition's no different. We need to track down someone of higher rank and get their orders. There's surely a plan for dealing with an attack such as this."

Ino spoke from near the window, where Naruto had been seconds before.

"A plan dealing with, say, evacuating women and children so all the distractions are out of the way?"

"That sounds right."

"Well, I hate to make Naruto's head even bigger, but it looks like that plan's shot to hell. Take a look out the window."

Four pairs of eyes beheld a scene of utter chaos in their home, buildings collapsed or burning, fighting everywhere; smoke, screams and blood filling the air. Small groups of people huddled together, making for the forest, all the while being pursued by other groups wearing foreign uniforms. Naruto's fist thudded into the concrete wall.

"Screw fatigue. If they're evacuating kids, the Academy classes must be on the move too. I ain't lettin' Snake-boy's lackeys get their hands on Konohamaru and the others. It's time to fight back. You guys in or out?"

Mentioning the Academy got Tenten's attention, all right.

"Tenji's still there too! I know I always say I wish the little brat were dead, and I do, but not at anyone's hands but mine! Only I get to maim him! And maybe Naruto, but only a little."

Her target's jaw dropped at that.

"HEY! What am I, a child molester?"

"No, just insane."

"WHAT!?"

"Who else would agree to try to discipline my brother?"

"Why ya asking me? You ain't had any better luck with that pint-sized punk either!"

"Who's a punk? Don't you dare call my brother a punk!"

"If the shoe fits…"

Ino, watching the two of them go at it, whispered a question to Neji out of the side of her mouth.

"They _are_ on the same side, right?"

Hyuga Neji's expression was flat – but the gleam of amusement in his eyes was unmistakable.

"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that it may endanger my health."

Ino sighed and did what came natural to her in such situations.

"WOULD THE TWO OF YOU JUST SHUT UP?"

Naruto and Tenten stopped throwing anything movable at each other long enough to turn their heads.

"Are we going out there or are we just going to act like preschoolers the rest of the day?"

Naruto grabbed a kunai out of the pouch on his leg, spinning it by the ring in its handle. The look on his face promised utterly senseless carnage.

"What do you think? Time to hunt some snakes."

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It was safe to say Uchiha Sasuke wasn't having a great day so far. Having to walk the whole way back from the wasteland where Kakashi had been training him, he'd missed Naruto's fight with the previous year's #1 rookie, Hyuga Neji. To top that off, he was currently staring at a giant ball of hard-packed sand with a hole punched in it. The hole being there was good – it meant all that chakra concentration practice had paid off and Kakashi's Chidori worked. The inhuman eye staring back at him through the hole was _not_ good.

Lately things like that were happening more and more often. Things that simply weren't grounded in any reality Sasuke had ever believed in. Some people might enjoy being in the middle of weirdness – Naruto, maybe. Sasuke didn't. His very first experience with warped realities had been courtesy of his older brother. Everything had pretty much been downhill from there. The cursed seal on his neck was only the latest reminder that his power levels were nowhere near where he wanted them. _I will allow only one person to warp my reality - myself._

It wasn't that he didn't have the talent – dozens of people had been telling him he was great for years. The Sharingan user wasn't inclined to disagree. But everyone else seemed to have easier or better ways of getting there. And as soon as anyone knew he had the use of the Uchiha Bloodline Limit, about the only way he was going to learn anything was through thievery.

That part didn't bother Sasuke so much. It was for a good cause. It would contribute to the death of an S-class criminal. The problem was that shinobi were pretty good at hiding when they didn't want to be found, and that especially went for times when new techniques were being practiced. New, powerful techniques.

Sasuke had witnessed Naruto's exploits in the Forest of Death. Surprisingly, that bomb jutsu had been quite powerful – so much so that Sasuke was convinced the idiot knew much more than he had ever let on. But as he analyzed the attack again, the black-haired Genin realized fate had conspired against him again. The sheer level of chakra required to make it powerful was beyond Sasuke's capabilities. For now. At the moment, if he had used the same technique it wouldn't be any better than half as strong.

Naruto was hiding something. He had to be. The only reason Sasuke had even bothered to go train with Kakashi was because five days of stalking the hyper blonde boy at the beginning of the month-long break between Exams had gotten him absolutely nowhere. Naruto had gone missing, and searching his usual training areas was fruitless. Not even Iruka or that mousy little Hyuga girl had known where Naruto was. In the end, rather than wasting time, he had simply gone off as Kakashi demanded. It hadn't been a _total_ loss, after all, what with the new Chidori to use.

But now…Chidori or no Chidori, something was very wrong with the world. And Problem #1 was the palpable evil he could sense from the eye that stared into his Sharingan, shadowed inside the hole he'd made in Gaara's shield. These days that was the theme of anyone with power, from Orochimaru to Yoroi and now Gaara. Darkness, or in Orochimaru's case chaos, could be powerful. Damned powerful.

For someone rightly praised as brilliant, a genius and a prodigy, parts of Uchiha Sasuke's mind were remarkably simple. Such as the ever-growing corner of his mind that demanded vengeance for his brother's crimes. Vengeance, at any cost. To that piece of his soul, power was the ultimate goal. As much as possible, as soon as possible. And the cost be damned. Right about now it was debating with itself looking into "alternative" power sources. Because if an idiot like Naruto could have access to almost limitless chakra reserves and powerful attacks, Uchiha Sasuke shouldn't have had any problem doing it either.

The sound of moving sand snapped him out of deep thought, primal instincts forcing Sasuke to leap back. When he looked back at where Gaara had been, he saw the sand shell dissolving, a human form gradually revealing itself again. The Sand Genin clutched his left shoulder, blood running from a deep wound. All signs of an impending Uchiha victory. So why did he still have a feeling of "too little, too late?" Why did the fear chilling his spine not recede? _I cannot afford fear! Fear will do nothing but hold me back when I face my brother again!_

The rustling of cloth and faint murmurings from the stands drew his attention away from Gaara. _Why are the people all asleep?_

He didn't know he'd spoken that thought aloud until he heard a voice coming up behind him.

"It's not a complete surprise. There were rumors of an impending attack; most likely assisted from within, else they'd not have gotten everyone inside the stadium as they did. Orochimaru and perhaps others behind it too."

Sasuke watched Genma step in front of him, shielding him from Gaara, who was kneeling in the sand with his siblings as well as another Sand-nin by his side. The Leaf Examiner watched the scene with a wary eye. The older Sand-nin was saying something to his students, who picked up Gaara and abruptly leaped back out of the stadium. Sasuke's snarl got Genma's attention again.

"What's going on here?"

"War. The Chuunin Exam's history. If you're game, I've got a mission for you instead."

"And that is?"

"Hunt down Gaara, and the others if need be. You and I both know you're as good as a Chuunin anyway. Make yourself useful."

Uchiha Sasuke's only response was to launch himself backwards, towards the stadium wall, an eerie smile splitting his face from ear to ear. And as he did so, the siren call of vengeance thundered in his eardrums.

_War means battle. Battle means fighting, and new things I can learn. The more I learn, the more power I'll gain. _

Perhaps it wasn't going to be such a bad day after all.

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"Sakura! Where are all the Genin from your class?"

Haruno Sakura could be forgiven for not listening 100 to her sensei's question. She was sort of busy trying to figure out what was going on, and between explosions in the Hokage's box, fighting going on in the stands, weapons and warriors flying everywhere, that wasn't a really easy thing to do.

"I don't know! I haven't seen Naruto or Ino since Naruto won, Neji got carted off, Tenten followed him and Hinata left her seat. Choji and Shikamaru are asleep, Sasuke-kun's down there, and I haven't seen Shino all day."

"Damn!" Kakashi cursed, standing back to back with Gai. "Sasuke went after Gaara. There's no way he can take on all three of those kids and come out unscathed. I'd send you after him, but you need to find help first. See if you can't find out where Naruto went. If you do, get back here and I'll send you all out."

As the Copy Ninja spoke, his rival did as well. Okay, so it was more of a battle cry. But ask anyone in the Leaf and most of them were fine with that kind of yell coming from Maito Gai. It was when he _talked_ that he started creating problems. Right about now, he was in the process of creating problems for a Sound-nin. At least Sakura figured being punched out of mid-air and then rammed all the way through the concrete stadium wall was a problem for a Sound-nin. Without experience it was kind of hard to tell.

"Bah! Shoddy construction is no match for the power of the Leaf's Prideful Green Beast! But still, it is yet another thing in which I have beaten you, Kakashi! The score in stadium demolition between us is now 1-0!"

"Sakura!" Kakashi snapped, ignoring Gai as usual. "Go out that hole and find Naruto. If you can, get a few more reinforcements while you're at it!"

The pink-haired girl complied, scrambling to avoid any stray weapons bouncing toward her, and leaping out of the stadium to a tree below.

_If I were Naruto and the village were under attack, where would I go first?_

The obvious answer was straight into battle, but then this was no ordinary fight. There was something in the village that could be threatened in an invasion. Ramen.

Gathering herself, Sakura leaped off in the direction of Setsuna's restaurant.

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As it turned out, Naruto and company need not have worried too much about the students of the Leaf Academy.

"That's the last batch. Close down the blast doors between here and the other side of the mountain, don't let anyone out, and don't open up the shelters for the civilian evacuation unless you get the right codes from the group leader."

Umino Iruka seldom got any kind of respect at all from people he gave orders to. To be fair, children surrounded him most of the time. But now that his orders _were_ being listened to, he wished with all his might that it hadn't come to an invasion of the village to make his students pay attention. Turning slightly to see the fires and destruction spreading through town, he shook his head. _If wishes were that easy to grant, Naruto would be wearing the Hokage robes by now, and I'd be a Jounin or Headmaster of the Academy._

Days like these were what he had dreamed about as a child, opportunities to prove that he, too, had what it took to be a hero like his parents. Chances to fight, rather than just teach. He'd done missions, of course, but when even Naruto had been on a mission several times more dangerous than Iruka had ever completed, comparing records wasn't encouraging.

"All right, you know what to do. Wait for the rest of the groups to arrive. I have to go meet the refugee columns."

Iruka dashed off as his students closed the door to the mountain shelter, heading back down towards the village. Tuning out the sounds of battle, Iruka homed in on the grayish smoke trails rising at intervals within the city, as opposed to the black clouds of smoke created by fire. By design, all of the women and children and non-combat civilians were being evacuated in several directions, and small gray smoke flares led the way. If fire truly began to present a problem, Anbu observers would trigger a second set of flares along the escape paths and send up red smoke. At the same time, anyone in the area who wasn't already escorting a refugee group would drop what they were doing and go to aid the escorts, as the red flares would be an obvious giveaway to enemy shinobi. It was the latest in a series of evacuation plans; several had already been thrown out after prominent shinobi had turned traitor, like Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi.

Thankfully, it hadn't come to red flares. Yet. Angling his next roof jump towards a gray smoke column, Iruka caught sight of a mottled camouflage pattern streaking down a nearby alleyway. _Sound-nin. If they haven't spotted this group, they're about to. If they get the word out, we'll have to go to red, and the situation is only going to get more chaotic._

It had been a very long time since Iruka had had to do anything other than basic ninjutsu or taijutsu. Grudgingly he admitted to himself that seeing what Naruto's class was capable of had left him feeling a bit underpowered. _That's no excuse for letting yourself get rusty_. Pulling out two kunai, the young man gritted his teeth. _No excuses, Iruka. Just do your job like you're always telling the kids to. Teach by example._

Flipping over the edge of the roof, the Leaf Chuunin launched himself towards the alleyway. Almost immediately, he wished he hadn't. Instead of one Sound-nin, he was facing three, one of whom wore a vest and clothes different from the other two. _Most likely a Jounin and two Chuunin. This far from home, I don't think the invaders would risk getting their Genin being slaughtered by our forces_.

Impossible or not, he'd come this far. He had to fight. Running would only get the evacuees in trouble, and draw their escort over to help him. _I just hope this fight turns out a bit better than my little tussle with Mizuki_. Screaming incoherently, Iruka leveled his kunai and charged. When the Sound Jounin parried his blow, the Leaf-nin staggered backward, dropping one of his knives. Intending to counter, the enemy shinobi snapped a thrust kick aimed at Iruka's jaw. Dodging, the smaller Chuunin's foot landed on the fallen kunai and slipped, throwing up sparks. Intending to capitalize, the Sound-nin advanced – until he saw the look of triumph on Iruka's face, and the kunai streaking at him, thrown by chakra gathered at the bottom of the Leaf-nin's foot.

Iruka's moment of victory was brief. His opponent vanished in a cloud of smoke, the kunai thudding dully into a block of wood. And behind it, the real Sound Jounin had thrown a shuriken of his own at the now off-balance Leaf Chuunin. He was halfway through his own set of Kawarimi no Jutsu seals when the clang of metal on metal brought him out of his chakra concentrating trance. Looking up, he saw a kunai intercept the Sound-nin's shuriken. A woman's sharp, sarcastic voice echoed from a rooftop above the combatants.

"Iruka, you always say you're more than just a babysitter, but one on three, outnumbered and outranked, ain't gonna prove it. Even your so-called dead last student had more brains than that, last I heard."

Two slender forms leapt down into the alley in front of Iruka, who took one look and blanched. Mitarashi Anko sure did know how to make an appearance, but this took the cake.

"_Hinata?_ What are you doing here?"

"Her duty," the Special Jounin snorted. "Two and a half versus three ain't the greatest of odds, but it's better than what you started with. Let's rumble!"

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"Hello? Setsuna-sensei? Slinger? Miki? Are you here?"

The restaurant was eerily quiet when Sakura stuck her head inside. Hearing no response to her question, the pink-haired girl walked in, surveying the dining room for signs of life. Seeing nothing, she proceeded into the kitchen. Pots and pans lay strewn about on the countertops, some almost ready to serve. _So they were here, but they must have left already for shelter._

Naruto couldn't have gone to Ichiraku; he'd actually have to pay for his food there. So where could he have gone? Setsuna could take care of herself, and Naruto wasn't so familiar or close with his aunt yet that he'd have gone home to check on her safety. Where else would he go? Ino's house? Back to the stadium? Nowhere at all?

"AAAAH! Naruto! Even when you're _not_ on my team you're still giving me a headache!"

Her ranting done with, Sakura threw the back door open and left the restaurant, heading back the way she'd come.

That wouldn't have been such a big deal, but for two facts, one unfortunate for the kunoichi, and the other quite fortunate for her. Unfortunately, her appearance at and entrance into the restaurant had attracted the attention of several pairs of eyes – none of which belonged to a Leaf-nin – on the premise that the "civilian" building must be some sort of hidden staging area for the Leaf to regroup. Fortunately (although she might not have thought so), the observing invaders didn't consider the pink-haired girl much of a threat. Her exit was unnoticed and unlamented. The other occupants of the building were not going to be quite so lucky.

Mere moments after her student left, Setsuna's head emerged from the passageway leading to the cellar. Peering around in both directions, the ex-waitress saw nobody around.

"Kids these days. Everything's gotta be instant, quick. Nobody's got any damn patience to wait until the door's unlocked."

She was forced to reconsider that opinion when a shuriken whizzed by, inches from her head, and thudded into the wall nearby. Slinger's voice immediately made the situation even worse, as the cook came barreling out into the kitchen as well.

"Whoa! I heard that! Somebody threw a carbon steel Four-Point Starblade! That's the rarest shuriken model ever forged! Let me take a look!"

"Damn it, Slinger! If you have a death wish, indulge it on your _own_ $&!$&# time!"

"Huh. Smith's stamp is from the Akasaka Armory. That's a Wind Country operation."

Setsuna dragged the burly man away from the cellar entrance just as more shuriken and kunai came whizzing in at them.

"Yeah. _The four guys out there wearing Sand Village vests and gear kind of tipped me off to that!_"

One of their attackers shouted into the kitchen, arm still cocked to throw a weapon.

"Come out of there, or we'll burn this whole damn place down!"

Setsuna kicked open the cellar door, storming out with two hastily grabbed meat cleavers in her hands.

"The hell you say! Do Sand-nins get their kicks from picking on civilian cooks and waitresses now?"

"Cut the bullshit! We know this is a staging area! Give up your commanders!"

"_What commanders, numbskull?_ All we got in our cellar is a fridge for beer and cheap sake, and somewhere to tie down the live produce! You want that, go ahead and buy a lunch special! Otherwise, get the hell out and go fight someone who's up for it!"

The Sand Jounin (or at least it looked like a Jounin to Setsuna – boy, she regretted not paying attention in Foreign Ninja Fashion 101 now) wasn't buying it.

"If you think I won't touch you because you're a woman, you've got another thing coming! If I have to beat it out of you, I will!"

Uzumaki Setsuna spat, a sneer curling the corners of her mouth. All considerations of talking her way out of a fight had just about vanished.

"Punk, you couldn't lay a finger on my body unless you had six feet of rope, a syringe full of knockout drugs and the baddest taijutsu skills alive! Beat it out of me? Try it! I'll carve your ass up and serve you to the dogs!"

Her cook ambled out of the cellar as well, whipping something around in front of and behind him.

"And don't forget Great Nunchaku Master Slinger! Bow down before my obvious skills!"

Setsuna took a closer look and sighed.

"Slinger, unless they're homophobic, whipping a string of sausages around ain't going to scare them off."

"Are you kidding? I made these sausages out of the toughest cow in Echizen City, Iron-Teats Bossy! We haven't sold a link off this string in eleven years! They're like petrified wood! Kneel before my Steel Cow Nunchaku, you bastards!"

"What the hell have you been reading all these years, ninjutsu scrolls or bad chop-socky manga?"

"Both! Manga-ya and the Grass Village did a marketing deal a couple decades back. Good stuff, if you can find it."

The Sand Jounin went bright red. Or puce. Maybe purple. Setsuna had never been good at deciphering skin tone shades.

"You think this is a joke, you bastards? I'm a Jounin of the Hidden Sand Village! Me and my three Chuunin will flay you alive!"

The ex-waitress fixed him with a closer look, and then turned away in disgust.

"Your kunai holster is on backwards, you're wearing noisy-ass metal bracelets on both wrists, and your clothes are brighter than your vest. Who the hell made you a Jounin?"

At this, the enemy shinobi (if you could call him that) had the grace to look sheepish.

"I'm the first cousin of the brother of the childhood sweetheart of the roommate of the Kazekage's wet nurse's father-in-law! Oh, and I play a mean shakuhachi in the village quartet!"

"That's just great," Setsuna growled, "It's the Attack of the Killer Shinobi Dweebs."

"Ex_cuse_ me? I happen to be Matsutake Kunimitsu, heir of the Matsutake Clan! I _think_ I rate higher than a dweeb. My associates here are all credible graduates of the Sand Academy and validly promoted Chuunin. I shall have them nail your skins to the wall for that affront."

"What, you ain't gonna fight?"

"I hardly think that's necessary," Kunimitsu intoned, buffing the nails of one hand on his vest. "Because if it become necessary for _moi_ to step in…"

Slinger cut the Sand Jounin off, dropping his sausages and grabbing a rolled-up package on the kitchen countertop. He snapped his wrist, unrolling the package to reveal a line of kunai, throwing knives and throwing axes.

"If _you_ end up fighting, you're already dead-on screwed."

"Ye-NO! If I fight, it would simply be overkill. Like swatting a fly with a boat oar. Yes, that's the ticket."

Setsuna made a noise halfway between a growl and a laugh, hefting her improvised weapons.

"I'll give you points for having the balls to say something that ridiculous. Let's see what you and your yes-men can do!"

"Gentlemen," Kunimitsu yawned, turning away, "see to their destruction."

Setsuna and Slinger had handled their share of handicapped fights before, but all of _those_ fights had been against people with no shinobi training. Going two on three against real Chuunin, even those bad enough to be assigned to Kunimitsu, was another thing. For a brief moment, Uzumaki Setsuna regretted flying off the handle. In the next moment, she discarded the feeling. _Made your bed, you sleep in it. Just concentrate on surviving – and maybe causing a little mayhem while you're at it._

Meat cleavers were inelegant weapons, and even worse was the fact that they were unwieldy, slow. Versus shinobi armed with sleek, agile kunai, they would be damn near useless. What to do?

"Hey, Motormouth! Happy birthday!"

Tossing one cleaver up into the air, the raven-haired woman whipped a foot around, connecting with the kitchen tool's handle and sending it flying end-over-end in Kunimitsu's direction.

Even a Genin could have ducked the cleaver, given that more than two hundred feet separated Setsuna and Kunimitsu. So Setsuna, even knowing what she did about the "Jounin," was surprised to see one of the three "Chuunin" break formation and deflect her weapon away.

And if they were credible Chuunin, why no jutsus? Why spend time fighting and possibly getting hurt fighting _civilians_ in the middle of an invasion when they could have flayed her and Slinger alive with a good Wind attack or two?

Uzumaki Setsuna's face split open in a savage (some would say half-crazed) grin. _They're Chuunin only as much as Kunimitsu's a Jounin. These guys are nothing but a bunch of thugs drafted to be this jackass's bodyguards! They're mooks! Goons! Yabos! In other words…_

_They're meat_.

"Slinger! Gimme the knuckles! We've got some slugging to do."

Placing the remaining cleaver on the countertop beside her, Setsuna caught the pair of brass knuckles Slinger had dug out of his bag and tossed over. Slipping the weapons on, Setsuna turned back towards Kunimitsu's goon squad and settled into a defensive stance.

"Who wants some?"

They might have been thugs, but Kunimitsu's men weren't without some skill. The one in front snapped off a roundhouse kick that Setsuna leaned her upper body away from, parrying deftly with one arm. Dropping to a knee, she whipped her own leg around to sweep her foe, but the first "Chuunin" leaped over it, both combatants coming face to face across the kitchen counter.

_Okay, not a TOTAL waste of time. More even a fight than I'd have guessed at the start._

Slinger, as was his wont, had started up a knife fight with Thug #2, keeping a watchful eye on the third straggler. Holding a kunai backhanded, the cook's hands moved with surprising speed, sparks flying as slash followed counter slash. As the last Chuunin approached the kitchen entrance, Slinger pivoted in a half-circle, slashing with enough force that he'd have cut his opponent in two if the man hadn't defended with a double-handed grip on his knife. One opponent occupied, the burly ninja otaku grabbed at a concealed holster hidden in his waistband, fanning out three steel needles. In a fluid motion, Slinger hurled the slim weapons at the Thug #3, forcing him back, and pivoted into a defensive position, facing Thug #2. He might be useless with ninjutsu, but the cook had plenty enough experience with conventional weapons to be dangerous.

"Been a while since we danced like this, Setsuna. I don't care if they're shinobi or not, we're gonna cut this one close, if we stay outnumbered."

Setsuna grunted, snapping Thug #1's head back with a quick jab. The "Chuunin" had seen her brass knuckles coming and pulled his head away to cushion some of the blow.

"About damn time, if you ask me. You were starting to get positively domestic without having to scrap once in a while."

Sensing Thug #3 coming back into play, Setsuna dodged a thrust kick from Thug #1, leaping up to the counter. With a kiai worthy of a black belt, she whipped one leg around in a perfect hook kick, connecting with a five-gallon pot hanging above Slinger's workspace. At such short range, Thug #3 had less than half a second to react and defend himself. Had he been an actual Sand Chuunin, Setsuna's attack would have been futile. Thankfully, he wasn't. A loud _bong_ made the fight equal numbers again.

"There. You happy now?"

Slinger snorted.

"Ecstatic."

Setsuna didn't get the time to enjoy her handiwork. Thug #1 used a neighboring sink to leap up at her, going full-extension with a flying kick. Sneering, she dropped into a split-legged position on the counter, grabbing her foe as he sailed by and helping him on his way. Slinger groaned at the loud crash that resulted.

"Hey, watch the grill! I eat off that thing!"

"You just don't want to wash any (!!# plates!"

By the time Thug #1 rose again he looked as if he'd been in prison and pressed his face against just-painted bars. Fortunately for him, Slinger hadn't actually lit the grill fire – yet. Frankly, he didn't have the time.

A knife fight – a _really good_ knife fight, to be exact – was a lot like a chess match. One wrong move opened up dozens of possible counterattacks, but even those could be parried if you guessed right. Slinger Ozaki was good at chess, though he was no Shikamaru. And while Thug #2 was no Sand Chuunin, he was quite a chess player himself. Both men now sported cuts, most of them shallow, seemingly all randomly placed, and all bleeding. Neither of them said anything. It was enough to admire the other's technique – and be wary of it.

_He's using the Scorpion stance,_ the cook noted. _Sharp, darting attacks, the occasional low strike, trying to wear me down. Gotta see about countering that_.

Curling his knife hand above his shoulder, Slinger assumed a mirror of Thug #2's Scorpion stance, looking to see if the man shifted stances or attacked first. When nothing happened, the cook snapped into action. Curling his index finger over his knife rather than around it, Slinger opened his hand, flicked the knife down to his other hand, and charged.

"Checkmate."

Thug #2 turned slightly, intent on evading the thrust that seemed to be aimed at his heart. A grin split Slinger's face from ear to ear. As the two men passed, he muttered a message to his opponent.

"Now who said I was trying to _kill_ you?"

As he finished speaking, Slinger rammed his blade so hard into the Sand thug's shoulder both men heard the bloodcurdling squeal of metal on bone. As they broke apart, the thug leaped back, the arm hanging limply at his side.

"Ain't had a good fight in months. You think I'm gonna end it this quick?"

Setsuna's voice snapped him out of his triumphant moment.

"Slinger, behind you!"

Thug #3 must have had a head of pure rock, because Setsuna's pot strike had knocked him silly for a grand total of 90 seconds. Both restaurant workers having forgotten about him, the Sand fighter had grabbed Setsuna's forgotten cleaver and was now bearing down on the cook with it, raised high to strike. Or at least, he _would _have struck but for the resounding _clang_ that echoed through the kitchen.

"What the hell?"

As the third thug crashed to the ground, he revealed another form standing behind him, white as a sheet, shaking like a leaf – and holding a now-deeply dented frying pan. Tanaga Miki pointed a trembling finger at Kunimitsu and mustered a voice halfway between a squeak and a roar.

"Y-y-you get out! Now!"

Setsuna was not one to look gift horses in the mouth.

"All right, buddy boy. It's decision time. I'm feeling generous. One of your mooks has a busted wing, the other one's got a busted melon and I'm about to bust the third a new one right between those delightful lines on his face. You've got two choices. Pack up your boys and get the hell out, or stay and see how many different varieties of dog chow I can turn you into once I'm done with the Goon Squad."

Kunimitsu might have been a fop, but he wasn't a _dumb_ fop.

"You are the very soul of mercy. I'll be leaving now."

"Good. You hang around any longer and I'll become the soul of ass-whooping. Get going!"

Thug #1 warily stepped over near Miki, who squeaked and brandished her frying pan. Spitting disgustedly, the Sand fighter ignored the red-haired waitress and picked his fallen comrade up under the armpits, dragging him out back towards Kunimitsu. Grunting in pain, Thug #2 followed, although not before yanking Slinger's knife out of his shoulder. His eyes promised revenge if the two should ever meet again.

When the door finally shut behind Kunimitsu and his men, the three co-workers collapsed in relief, Setsuna falling into a nearby chair, Slinger grimacing as he leaned against the counter to put pressure on his wounds, Miki hugging her knees to herself. Naruto's aunt took a look around at the devastation wrought in the kitchen, and the weapons sticking out of the wall. The ex-waitress angrily hurled one of her brass knuckles at a pan on the floor.

"That little ditz comes here out of the blue and asks me for training. Now she skips in here, runs out, attracts the attention of a bunch of destructive lunatics, makes me fight them, and then isn't even here to clean up the mess. Sakura, you better keep running. Because if you ever come by this place again, you're gonna work every red cent of these damages off."

Slinger asked a question of her as he pulled a bottle of alcohol out of the medicine cabinet.

"Thought you had insurance for shinobi."

The grin on Uzumaki Setsuna's face, savage and malicious, mirrored exactly her nephew's expression when he'd gone out to fight the attackers minutes before.

"_She_ doesn't know that."

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"Great! This is just great! Uncle Kumataro's going to kill me and probably adopt some ragamuffin off the street as the new heir once he finds out about this. Beaten up by two waitresses and a cook! We've hit a new low!"

His only undamaged lackey made a disparaging noise, lending an arm for Lackey #2, he of the damaged arm, to lean on. Kunimitsu had bandaged the man's wound and stopped the bleeding with one of his best stylish gauze wraps, which the Wind Country's Bureau of Aesthetics had rightly praised him for. Was it _his_ fault Uncle Kumataro prized the Kazekage's awards above the BOA's?

Lackey #3, a few steps behind, hadn't said more than a few words since they'd left the restaurant, and apparently hadn't _heard_ much either. Getting his bell rung by a waitress half his size was a good excuse for doing nothing, Kunimitsu had to admit. It was really too bad that the rank Uncle Kumataro had secured for _him_ wouldn't allow for that kind of injury to excuse him from fighting. Right about now, that was what he desperately desired.

"I don't suppose there's a way for us to go home at this point. Perhaps we should head for Tanzaku-gai and see Rokusaburo the Surgeon. I've heard he does excellent facial transformations."

Lackey #1 wasn't terribly fond of his employer or the man's nephew, but he _did_ sort of need to get paid.

"Sir, as long as you distinguish yourself somehow during the invasion I'm certain Matsutake-sama will consider this outing a success. One kill, for instance."

"Oh, honestly. I think we both know how likely _that_ is to happen."

Lackey #3 picked a good time to say something for once.

"There's a group of people heading down an alley that way, two blocks down. Looks like the Leaf are trying to clear noncombatants out of the way so they can counterattack."

Lackey #1 was a thug, but not necessarily a particularly _evil_ thug.

"They're civilians, you moron."

"Hey, there's enough dead Leaf mooks around here already to take forehead protectors off of. We could, like, turn the civvies into shinobi or something after we waste 'em. Be a good photo op for Matsutake-sama."

At this point, Kunimitsu would have streaked through an old wives' convention at the local hot springs to avoid having to report back to the Kazekage and his uncle that his squad's only accomplishment was making a wide-bodied cook attempt to fight them with a string of stale, iron-hard beef sausages.

"That's so stupid it might actually work. It would only take one kill, really. Perhaps we could ask them who the village idiot is and do them a public service."

Before any of them had taken a single step off their rooftop perch (or hiding spot, whatever), a kunai thudded into the building in front of them.

"Wow, big men. You attack out of nowhere, mess up the peace, ally with Orochimaru and now you want to slaughter a bunch of civilians. I should have been born in the Sand; I'd be Kazekage by now with those standards."

Kunimitsu looked up to see four Leaf Genins on a neighboring roof, two male and two female. The blonde boy in the middle appeared to be the source of the previous comment. Lackey #1 was not about to let that slide, even if _was_ technically true.

"You've got a big mouth, kid. Let's see you back it up against a Jounin and three Chuunin!"

The other Leaf boy made a sound halfway between a snort and a laugh.

"A Jounin and three Chuunin? If translated into our ranks, given your plan I think it comes out to a fifth-year senior at the Academy and several toddlers."

Lackey #3, perhaps still addled by all the cookware he'd been hit with, opened his mouth in response.

"THAT'S IT! I'm gonna rip your guts out and paint this little shantytown red with your blood!"

His eyes widened as the first Leaf boy began to glow red, and an evil presence weighed the air down.

"Sorry. That's my line."

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I would have loved to have updated sooner, but Real Life, as many of you know, is a pain in the ass. Between Ch. 17 and now, I lost my job, started getting headaches, had to take my car in for almost $1,000 in repairs because the brakes were dying on me, and generally life sucked. Things are, of course, looking up, mostly because they don't have any lower to go.

Thankfully, Set in Stone 4 and the second chapter of my LJ story are planned out thoroughly, so look for those to come out faster than this chapter took. I realize there wasn't much Naruto in Ch. 18, and the perspectives jumped around a lot, but it was necessary. Ch. 19 is going to be one gigantic battle from start to finish, and will be (I think) the true point at which this plot goes completely AU. Stay tuned.

Next: Iruka, Anko and Hinata versus three Sound-nins! Naruto, Ino, Neji and Tenten versus Kunimitsu and the Goon Squad (and then on to weightier issues)! And where exactly is Sasuke headed?


	19. Buried Legacies

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 19 – Buried Legacies**

Summary: As the Sand and Sound began their attack on the Leaf, several battles began - and one ended. Sasuke began chasing Gaara and his siblings, while Iruka's fight with three Sound-nins was evened out when Anko and Hinata joined in. And Setsuna and company fought off a group of Sand-nins, only to chase them into the waiting arms of Naruto and his friends! Let's get ready to rumble!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will learn as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

' ' – Misc. Speech

"Now, now, my boy. I'm sure we can reach a peaceful resolution of this little tiff."

Naruto rolled his eyes at Kunimitsu, as the Sand "Jounin" knelt begging in front of him.

"You want to tell me why I should even consider letting off someone who was planning to kill unarmed people and pass them off as shinobi?"

"Well," the older man ticked off on his fingers, "I'm a gourmet cook, I play hanafuda like a professional, and I know every courtly insult in the book. Oh, and I play a mean shakuhachi in the village quartet! Just like I told that nice young woman in the restaurant before she beat us up and sent us your way. I'd be a great prisoner of war."

Lackey 1 groaned and cradled his face in his hands.

_I went through five years of training at the Bodyguard Academy for THIS?_

Ino looked at the thug and back at Kunimitsu.

"What's his problem?"

"Oh, nothing," the Sand-nin shrugged. "I think he just regrets taking the job of protecting me from my Uncle Kumataro. I doubt his contract covers getting captured."

Naruto was about to ask again, when something Kunimitsu had just said hit him. _Girl in the restaurant? Beat him up?_

"You got beat up by my _aunt_? If your uncle didn't even give you enough protection to get past my Aunt Setsuna, I think you might be better off staying here after all."

Another explosion out in the direction of the forest shook the air. Neji strode up to Naruto, jerking a thumb back where the noise had come from.

"We've no time to be chatting. There are battles going on everywhere. It would be best to help before something should go wrong with one."

Tenten pointed a finger at the four men still arrayed across from them.

"What about Bozo and the Clowns?"

Naruto turned to look at Kunimitsu's group, a rather nasty gleam building in his eyes.

"Okay, we got one willing prisoner and three question marks. You guys want a fast track to the afterlife, or would you prefer to hang out up here for a while?"

Blank looks greeted him both from the Sand fighters _and_ his friends. A vein popped up on the blond Genin's forehead.

"LOOK, EITHER LET US TIE YOU UP AND GET BACK TO THE REAL FIGHT OR I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING LUNGS OUT!"

Lackey 1 sighed, holding his arms up in surrender.

"Will you at least do me the courtesy of saying for the official record that I fought to the last?"

Naruto rolled his eyes as he reached for a discarded laundry line on the rooftop.

"Yeah, sure, for all the good it'll do you. Now go hide in a corner somewhere out of sight. I don't need your deaths on my conscience if some Anbu squad finds you before we get back."

Thinking about all the opponents – and friends – he still had out there, the blond Genin grimaced.

"_If_ we get back."

-

If there was any one fight Naruto would have worried about on paper, it was the one Iruka faced with three very real Sound-nins. That wouldn't have changed even with the addition of a psychotic Special Jounin and a formerly timid Genin on the Leaf side. Seeing the three enemies arrayed against them, Anko hissed an aside to Iruka.

"Hey, Big Sensei Man, you got a plan or did you just decide to jump into the fight for the sake of great justice?"

The Chuunin flushed bright red.

"Um, does it really matter?"

Mitarashi Anko considered his response and then shrugged.

"No, just curious. I'll kill them anyhow. Just checking to see if you know what you're doing."

Iruka looked over at Anko's companion, hefting a kunai and glancing warily at the Sound-nins.

"What about Hinata?"

"Get real. She's here to observe and for numbers. Guppies don't kill sharks. Your problem is half your students take after you and your prissy, hugs-for-everyone teaching style. They all lack practical slaughtering experience. A little blood never hurt anyone."

"Even if it's their blood being spilled?"

"You have to learn to duck eventually. Better early than late. Hinata! Watch over Iruka. I'd hate for him to have nothing to break his fall if he faints from watching me work."

The Special Jounin turned back to face their foes, biting her thumb as she did so.

"You think Orochimaru is the only one who can summon serpents? Think again. Ninpo Kuchiyose! Doton: Dokuga no Jutsu (Earth Element: Poison Fang)!"

A cloud of smoke billowed forth from where Anko's hand slammed into the ground, resolving into a twelve-foot long serpentine form, dull brown with black markings over a white belly. The snake's head wove a slight circle-eight pattern in the air as it tracked new prey. Anko stroked its body idly, a too-serene smile twisting her face.

"This is a Habu pit viper. Normally they grow about a meter long, maybe a little more, and getting bitten by one is like getting dipped in acid. This is an ancestor spirit, about four times bigger. Its venom can bring agonies that make Hell seem like Paradise. So if you thought you had the advantage…think again."

The Sound-nins displayed no outward signs of anxiety, but Hinata could see how tense they were, Byakugan working overtime to catch the kinds of clues Neji was always spotting in her. Why would Orochimaru's people be so wary of snakes when they'd summoned a giant one already? Jabbing an elbow into Iruka's side, she nodded over in the enemy's direction.

"They look spooked. Maybe we should attack now?"

Anko ordering him around was one thing, but to lose the initiative to a student was something even Iruka couldn't abide.

"You stand back. Anko wanted you to watch, remember? With her snake it's three against three again. Stay behind cover and let me worry about these fellows."

The purple-haired Genin rolled her eyes and moved behind a stack of boxes in the alleyway.

"Whatever."

Oh, the shame. For even the most timid of his former students to think him a wimp? Not even as battle-ready as Anko? Umino Iruka burned with a silent rage. It was time to open a can of Super Hyper Triple-Strength Whoop Ass on his foes. Unfortunately, all he had was a bunch of kunai and his wits. It would have to do. The Chuunin walked over to where Anko and her snake stood, fixing her with the same look he'd used on Naruto so many times.

"Just because I'm a teacher doesn't mean I've forgotten what to do with a good blade."

The Special Jounin's face twisted in a maniacal grin.

"Don't tell me. Show me."

Obviously, straight-up fighting was out. He'd tried it, had just about managed to get himself killed before Anko had stepped in, and was only average at it. But what was forming in his brain right now had to be initiated _somehow_. Reaching below his usual belt pouch, Iruka felt the bulge of one of the two special packs he'd strapped onto his legs before leaving the Academy to escort his students, divided into six separate slots. Snapping one container open, he snagged the kunai that sprang into the air. With a smirk to disguise his unease, Iruka gestured to his ally.

"Just try and keep up."

Not bothering to listen to the curse she yelled back, he set his sights on the lone enemy Jounin, who was probably the biggest threat. If he was going to have to fight, it might as well be with the commander. Who knew how insufferable Anko would become if she took out a Jounin with him just watching?

Readying his kunai, Iruka hurled it at the Sound-nin, who predictably dodged, letting the weapon thud into the side of the alley. The Chuunin had anticipated that, and his foot smashed into a convenient rain barrel underneath a nearby gutter, destroying its cover. As he did so, his hands were already running through a complicated set of seals.

"Suiton: Haru Kasumi no Jutsu (Water Element: Springtime Haze)!"

Completing a spin kick in midair, Iruka knocked the barrel over, the water inside dissolving into a misty fog that quickly enveloped his opponent. Not giving the Sound-nin a chance to react, Iruka released the rest of his right-side kunai one at a time, forcing the Jounin back and drawing a wild tracery of metal along the same wall of the alley.

It vaguely occurred to Iruka that the mist kept him from seeing the other man's movements very well, but his plan was nearly complete. All he had to do was stay intact and moving long enough to set it off. The Jounin wasn't about to go down that easily.

"Katon: Hakka Dan (Fire Element: Flash Point Bullet)!"

Tiny fireballs spread outwards from the Sound-nin's mouth (at least Iruka _hoped_ it was his mouth), incinerating the mist and boiling large portions of the cloud away. What didn't strike mist shot out towards Iruka, forcing him to leap up onto the left-hand wall as he reached for the kunai pack on his left leg with one hand. The other reached for his normal shuriken and kunai, behind his back. Jumping off the wall, he rained steel down upon the Sound-nin, special kunai flashing perilously close but impacting the left side of the alley harmlessly even as the weapons in his other hand kept his foe on the defensive. As his hands emptied, Iruka planned his next move.

_Now it gets tricky_.

If what he'd planned worked right, he would have to watch his step as well. Thankfully he at least knew where _to_ step in the first place. To draw the Jounin into the trap, he'd likely have to absorb at least one hit and go back on the defensive. Looking back to where Anko was, he saw her engaged with the two Chuunin with her snake's help, keeping the fight well away from the boxes where Hinata was concealed. If all went well, he could concentrate on his fight and not worry about being knocked back into hers.

_All right, have fun, asshole. This is your chance to whale away_.

Iruka did his best to land awkwardly, as though surprised he was out of things to throw at the Sound-nin. That was all the opening the other man required. The Jounin vanished into thin air, even his footsteps untraceable.

_Okay, so I didn't connect that Sound Village forehead protector to his being able to mask the sound of footfalls. A minor setback. I hope._

Orochimaru's people being who they were, they weren't about to waste time on little old him. The enemy would want to finish this fight quick, and that probably meant knifing him in the back. But when you couldn't see your foe, what side was that supposed to be? There had to be a way to counter this sound-muffling jutsu.

_Here goes nothing._

"Suiton: Yuudachi no Jutsu (Water Element: Sudden Shower)!"

Molecules in the air around him condensed in a flash, a miniature torrent of rain cascading down into the alley. The Sound-nin might be able to fool his ears, but the impact of his feet upon water, even if he managed to balance himself out with chakra, would become noticeable soon enough.

There! A splash too great to be caused by a mere raindrop. Iruka leaned back just in time to keep the Jounin from splitting his head in two, somersaulting down the alley, past the weapons still embedded in the walls. Once he'd passed the last stuck kunai, Iruka released the tiny packets of chakra he'd been holding in place upon the rings and handles of the special kunai. A brief _shing_ rang in the air, a whisper of metal on metal he hoped would be too soft for the Sound-nin to take notice of. Frantically weaving out of the way of a further assault, Iruka's hands leapt into one final sequence of seals, finishing by slamming them both to the ground, palms down.

"Suiton: Shouryu Goku no Jutsu (Water Element: Tidal Prison)!"

The water raining down upon both men coalesced into a wave as tall as the buildings around them, enveloping the Sound-nin in an aquatic cell. The Leaf Chuunin shook his head resignedly and pointed a finger in the opposite direction, the wave moving at his command.

"Die."

Without the cover of rainfall to dull their presence, wires gleamed in the sunlight, spreading outwards in a haphazard web, connecting the "missed" kunai Iruka had previously thrown, held in place at each end by smaller magnets. By the time the Jounin registered that, it was too late to do anything but impact Iruka's net of razor wire.

A torrent of blood painted the alleyway crimson, Iruka's net neatly slicing the Sound-nin into a pile of twitching body parts, the head's expression frozen in wide-eyed horror. From behind her boxes, watching the scene with the Byakugan, Hinata could not see Anko's savage battle frenzy in her old sensei's eyes, nor sadness at taking a life. All Iruka's expression betrayed was fatigue and mental exhaustion. She couldn't hear him speak, but she could read the words his lips formed.

"A little blood may not hurt anyone, Anko, but it's no miracle cure."

The Special Jounin hadn't heard him either, but she'd certainly taken in the sight of Iruka dicing his opponent into shinobi finger food. Hissing something in an alien tongue to her snake, Anko drew a second kunai to join the one in her left hand and charged, screaming as she moved.

"Enough dancing around! You're meat!"

The viper's tail whipped around and forced one of the two Chuunin back, Anko hurling her kunai at the other one. The brown-haired man vanished in a cloud of smoke, Kawarimi no Jutsu countering her attack. Snarling, she set her hands in motion.

"Hijutsu: Sansei Jouki (Secret Technique: Acidic Vapor)!"

A sickly purple cloud jetted out from the sleeves of the kunoichi's jacket, shaking it all over with its force. The "missing" Sound-nin reappeared as the vapor spread outwards, whipping the top of his outfit off to shield him from the acid and drive the lethal fog away from his position. It charred the thickly-woven shirt into a smoking ruin, but that was a small sacrifice to avoid much greater damage. Anko ground her teeth.

_Any other opponent, that at least gives them pause. Orochimaru's men WOULD know the counters to everything he taught me – probably because he's known this day was coming for a lot longer than I have._

When she realized what else that might mean, the two Chuunin were already in position to prove her own point.

"Konton Ha (Chaos Wave)!"

The world began to swim, a ringing in her ears steadily building into a chorus of random noise under the Sound-nins' sonic assault. It wasn't as powerful as the Sound attack from the exam reports, the one that had knocked the Rock Lee boy for a loop, but it was more than enough to throw her sense of balance completely off-kilter. Looking about, she could see her serpent thrashing about aimlessly, trying and failing to center on its target.

_Damn! They lined us both up!_

Where the hell was Iruka? Sitting with his thumb up his ass gloating at her misfortune? No. She shook off the brief flash of irritation. He had to be careful coming to her aid. That razor net worked both ways, and getting around it would be tricky. There was no time to dismantle it now anyway. Besides, she wasn't _completely_ helpless. The enemy might have hindered her movement, but they hadn't silenced her.

"Senei Jashuu (Sublime Snake Hand)!"

A call to another of her allies worked. Four pythons shot forth from one outstretched sleeve, instinctively wrapping around the nearest heat source that wasn't their mistress. Gathering her feet under her, Anko pushed off randomly, pulling the arm with her snakes attached back towards her body. Without a sense of direction, it was the best she could do. It worked – sort of.

The ringing in her ears cranked up a notch with an impact that would leave a nasty bruise on her forehead. Leading with her head by necessity, she had smashed straight into the Chuunin's nose, which broke with an obliging crack and a steady flow of blood, covering both of their faces. Dazed, having to keep an unsteady eye on her foe, Anko mouthed a silent curse. With her viper down, there was nobody to handle the last Sound-nin until Iruka made it past his net. At least that was the logical conclusion.

Thankfully, Hyuga Hinata hadn't been entirely logical for weeks. Her vantage point had shown her the same grim picture Anko had seen: Iruka gingerly tiptoeing through the wires, her current sensei lying in a woozy (and disturbingly erotic) position on top of one Chuunin, and one last Chuunin advancing on the downed pit viper with kunai upraised. Hinata didn't much care for the slithery part of Anko's training, but losing an ally would just make her teacher even more unstable. Besides, she was still steaming at Iruka's assumption that she was useless in a fight.

The last Chuunin turned from stalking Anko's viper when he heard the scrape of Hinata's shoes on the ground, the purple-haired Genin emerging from her hideout. The snake could wait. This girl was a much easier target. And who would want to approach a zoned-out snake with venom that could rot his flesh into pulp?

Hinata considered trying her eye genjutsu, but thought better of it. She _knew_ Hanabi's weaknesses. Orochimaru's people probably feared him much more than they respected him, but that wasn't enough to work on. It'd take too long to freeze him in place, and that would only expose her to attack if she failed. Plus, she _knew_ how to use it. If she was going to take a risk it should be with a jutsu she still needed to master. Hinata took a deep breath, looking tensely at her opponent. Then she extended a sleeve of her own.

"Senei Jashuu!"

Iruka, Anko and the two Sound-nin all shifted their attention when they heard the young girl call out one of Orochimaru's signature jutsu. Whether they were looking at her in shock, pride or disdain, all eyes were on the former Hyuga heir to see what she could do. At least, they were until ten seconds had passed with nothing emerging from the girl's dark jacket. Large sweatdrops emerged on the two Leaf adults' heads. Hinata didn't have time for that; she was too busy looking inside the sleeve she'd thrown outwards, an irritated expression on her face.

"Look, how are you ever going to grow if you don't try to fight?"

Anko heard a faint hiss of displeasure – and a little fear - from inside the jacket. Hinata kept arguing with the unknown serpent.

"If they had big snakes, they'd have brought them out by now!"

The last Chuunin was tired of waiting. Raising his kunai, he charged. Taken aback, Hinata stumbled backwards and tripped over her own feet. As she fell, the purpled-haired girl whipped her arm outwards, hurling a gray, wriggling form out of the jacket's sleeve, barely two feet long. The snake hissed as threateningly as it could, its head flashing upwards as the Chuunin passed, sinking tiny fangs into his ankle.

The Sound-nin cursed at the sudden pain in his leg, shaking off Hinata's snake and turning back to its fallen mistress. But as he did so, the leg refused to respond. Wide-eyed, he stared back down at the snake, which had drawn itself up to hiss at him again. Suddenly it was getting hard to breathe.

"What…the hell…kind of snake…is that?"

Anko's eyes flew wide open as she recognized the baby snake.

_A black mamba?_

The Special Jounin sighed to herself. Only Hinata would have the dumb luck to survive summoning the wrong kind of snake with a Senei Jashuu – by calling on one of the deadliest snakes known to man. Sensing "her" Chuunin stirring, Anko headbutted him again to keep him quiet. Stunned again, it took her a few seconds to react to her student's…well, you couldn't call it a _failure_, but it was no huge success either (even if the mamba's venom would kill the Chuunin in mere minutes).

"Damn it, Hinata! I said pythons! The Senei Jashuu involves pythons!"

Gingerly rising to one knee, her student shook her head and kept an eye on the last Sound-nin, who had staggered to his knees, breathing ragged.

"But they're scary!"

A vein popped up on Anko's head, in the same place Naruto's had earlier.

"THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT!"

Iruka's hand latched onto the back of Anko's jacket, lifting her bodily off the first Chuunin and propping her up against the alleyway.

"Argue the point later. They're not dead quite yet."

"If I could move without tipping over, I'd do the deed, you know."

"Yes, yes," the Leaf shinobi humored her. "I know. Another time."

Picking up a kunai from the ground, Iruka bent down and laid the prone Sound-nin's throat open with one fluid slash, the muted look on his face unchanged.

The Special Jounin looked at her comrade with more than a little curiosity. Iruka didn't react, too busy making sure Hinata's foe he didn't do any more damage before the mamba's venom finished paralyzing his muscles and killed him from lack of oxygen.

"Hey, Big Sensei Man."

He didn't even bother to look back at her.

"What?"

"That net wasn't something you just came up with on the fly. You've got skills way out of line with a low-grade Chuunin just teaching kids the ropes. How come you're not in some hotshot Anbu squad?"

Iruka dropped the bloody kunai back on the ground, stepping over the paralyzed Sound-nin to help Hinata up. When he spoke again, his words were measured and quiet, almost too low to hear.

"Finish teaching Hinata. When you have, you'll see for yourself."

That took what was left of Iruka's adrenaline rush out of him, the Academy teacher staring off into space.

_I suppose Naruto and his classmates ought to get most of the credit for this little transformation_.

They had taught him that legacies were important, things to use as stepping-stones for one's success. He'd gone back after seeing Naruto fight Mizuki and others, sifting through the things his parents had left behind, scrolls and weapons that he'd always been unwilling to disturb, and tried to see what his parents had been, not simply keep a memory stagnant in his mind. A legacy had to be explored, understood, and accepted. If you wanted to move on _afterwards_, well, that was a normal human thing to do.

_Unless you understand where you come from and do something with it, you'll always be leashed to the past. That's no way to live_.

How many legacies would be made today, and how many would never get off the ground?

-

A pair of eyes watched Uchiha Sasuke as he dashed through the forest, focused intently on the Genin prodigy as he passed by. Contempt, respect and even envy roiled behind Yakushi Kabuto's eyes. Orochimaru had changed his plan upon seeing Naruto summon the giant ferret, intent upon seizing what chance he could of seducing the Uchiha boy away right now. When the disguised Sakon had slipped him the note with his new orders, he'd left the stadium, turning the mass genjutsu duties over to a fellow Sound Anbu member.

Kabuto cursed as he saw Sasuke's targets, the Kazekage's brats. Did the man have _no_ control over his own creation? The point of the joint operation had been to crush the Leaf utterly, or at the least to cripple them. What shinobi and summoned creatures that were already in action would do _damage_, but nothing on the scale Orochimaru had envisioned. All because of the frailty of one stupid boy's mind.

Kimimaro, Orochimaru's last great prodigy, would never have backed down from a demon if it had been sealed inside him. Even _Naruto_, stubborn and rash, had achieved a little control over the Ninetails, if his performance just now was any indication. But now that Kimimaro's body was giving out, all they could have used was Gaara.

_And he's done a lovely job of destroying a perfectly planned surprise assault_.

If there was one thing to respect about Orochimaru, it was his efficiency. If a pawn or a tool stopped being useful, the snake Sennin replaced it immediately. Now that Gaara was useless to them, it was Sasuke's turn to take his place in the great game, and Kabuto's job to put him there. If he couldn't bring Sasuke in, someone else would – their value to Orochimaru rising at his expense.

Yakushi Kabuto had not gotten where he was without stepping over a few bodies on the way. He would be damned if someone ever got the chance to do the same to him.

_You WILL join us, Sasuke-kun. And when you do, I'll be more than happy to keep you in line – and in your place - until Orochimaru gets what he wants from you_.

-

"Okay, Super Eyes. You said there were battles going on everywhere. Point us in the right direction."

Naruto looked over at Neji as their little group sailed over the village rooftops. The Hyuga prodigy was squarely focused on the forest, out past the Leaf's walls. After a long pause, Neji nodded his head to the northeast.

"Gaara and his teammates are trying to flee the area. Sasuke is behind them, and he's catching up. Perhaps he wants to continue their fight."

The blonde Genin shrugged.

"Let him have his fun. There's a lot more dangerous stuff out there, and more civilians still heading for the shelters. We oughta at least help clear the city out before we jump into a duel."

'I'm afraid that's not possible, Naruto.'

The four Genin stopped short as the Ebon Shadow emerged from the treeline in front of them, backwinging to land on Naruto's shoulder.

"What're you talking about?"

'Ask your friend to take another look at this Gaara. I sense something…odd…about him. You might even say he is not entirely human. As though his spirit were that of a tanuki, oddly enough.'

Ino strained her ears, but heard only scattered bits and pieces of what the giant raven said to Naruto. The bird sage noted her confusion.

'Has the young lady a question?'

Naruto looked over at his confidant with a worried squint.

"What's up?"

"I don't know," she shook her head. "I can only hear parts of what he's saying, like a radio fading in and out."

Naruto repeated it to him; the Ebon Shadow chuckled.

'It appears human ingenuity only goes so far.'

"What's that supposed to mean?"

'You remember,' the raven said, 'how she only began hearing me after she read your mind?'

"What about it?"

'Well, it is only a theory, but I think in order to understand your thoughts, her mind had to take on the shape of your mind, however temporarily. This allowed her to hear me, even if she could not speak the tongue of Nature. Now that she is no longer in your mind, her thoughts are regaining their unique shape, and her ability to understand me is fading.'

Ino caught enough of it to understand what the raven meant, pouting in disappointment. Tenten, not knowing the background, looked at both of them like they were nuts.

"Naruto, it was bad enough when you were the only crazy one. Don't tell me you're contagious now?"

He made an irritated noise, pointing to the bird on his shoulder.

"Look, you saw me summon that ferret. I have a kind of animal magnetism. That's my Bloodline Limit. I can speak to them and summon different animals once I have their trust. Ino took a trip into my brain with her new jutsu and came out of it with half that power, but it's fading away now. Simple enough."

"Riiiiiiiiight."

"Oh, come on. Neji having X-ray vision you accept without a second thought, but I can't talk to furry creatures from the forest?"

"Neji's family has been doing it for centuries. I only saw you summon that ferret three hours ago. You tell me."

Naruto threw up his hands in exasperation.

"I'm surprised your dad gives you weapons sharp enough to break the skin."

"Of course he does! Using them is more sophisticated than prancing around the woods in a bearskin thong like you probably do with those animals!"

Rather than argue with her again, he turned to Neji, and motioned out in Gaara's direction.

"Take a detailed look at that Sand freak if you can. Shadow's saying something's wrong with the guy that makes him seem inhuman."

The long-haired boy shrugged.

"Something tells me it would take an encyclopedia to record everything wrong with him. Let me check."

Reactivating his Byakugan, Neji's enhanced vision bored through the forest, seeking out the fleeing forms of Gaara and his siblings. The girl with the fan and the boy with the puppet looked normal enough, if slightly twisted. But Gaara was unique. No, scratch that. Unique didn't even begin to describe the Sand Genin's chakra.

Naruto had manifested an evil aura when he'd broken through the Hakke Rokujuuyonshou, but Neji had gotten the sense that it was more a controlled spirit, not the other boy's soul itself. Gaara carried a similar influence, but his "second" aura was darker, jet black with the hint of abyssal depths. Roiling and pulsing, it crashed against its vessel's human soul like a neverending tide, spilling over with increasing frequency to taint and corrupt what was left there.

Neji shuddered visibly, turning off the Byakugan. Tenten leaned down to check on him.

"What did you see?"

He turned to look at her and the rest of the group, voice shaken and disturbed.

"Something that cannot be contained by Sasuke's skill alone. Its essence alone reeks of pure evil. Unless I miss my guess, it is mere moments from being released into the open. We had better prevent that, or at least try to minimize the damage."

Ino watched as Naruto ground his teeth, logic warring with emotion.

"Naruto, this is no time to get into a pissing contest. We all saw what that kid did to Lee. If he's capable of worse, he has to go down."

Gently nudging the Ebon Shadow off his shoulder with a shrug, the blonde Genin took his jacket off and tied it about his waist, revealing the tattoos running down one arm.

"Fine. Let's get this over with before he pulls a win out of his ass and becomes Grand High Master Emperor of Bishonen Land, where the bimbos dwell."

Biting his thumb, Naruto swiped the digit over the middle tattoo, that of Raven, morphing the bird sage into a giant-sized version of himself.

"Get on! We strike from the air and the bastards'll never know what hit 'em."

Tenten looked at the humongous raven a little dubiously.

"You sure about that with a bird this big?"

"The only thing I'm sure of is before we're done with them, they're gonna regret the day they set foot in our village. Now come on!"

-

Fear. Loathing. Bloodlust. All of that and more, in an ever-quickening cycle, turned and turned about in Uchiha Sasuke's head. He was tracking Gaara and the other two Sand Genin on Genma's orders, of course, but even if the Jounin hadn't ordered him to fight, the voices in the depths of his psyche would have demanded it.

That explained his irritation at hearing a familiar voice call out to him, distracting him from the coming battle.

"Sasuke! Turn back!"

He spared a short glance at the source of the command. Kabuto. What was a voluntary failure doing ordering him around in the middle of a war zone? Best not to simply ignore an order if it existed, though. Stopping atop a nearby tree, the Uchiha heir turned to look at Kabuto.

"What do you mean, turn back?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," the bespectacled Genin said. "Look up. Someone's already been reassigned to take on Gaara."

A large shadow swept overhead, the Ebon Shadow speeding in the same direction Sasuke had been seconds earlier, with Naruto's group aboard. Kabuto smiled to himself at the flush that crept all the way up Sasuke's neck to his face. _Amazing, the kinds of tools you can pick up just by being observant. Envy trumps duty with enough time and opportunity_. Sasuke looked dubious.

"What's going on? That idiot's never been able to do anything as advanced as that."

"When you grow up with medics, Sasuke, you learn that blood eventually breeds true."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kabuto's inner smile widened, the Sound spy twisting the knife.

"The Leaf has all kinds of bloodlines. Some are just a little slower to develop than others."

Before Sasuke could digest that news, the other shinobi heaped more salt on the festering wound.

"We're to scout the rest of this area to see if Gaara and his team were trying to set up an ambush with other Sand shinobi. Naruto's squad will signal us if they need reinforcements. We ought to move before anything gets out of hand."

Without waiting for a response, Kabuto moved off into the forest, on a parallel track to Naruto's. Sasuke hesitated before following, unwilling to disobey even an unjust order.

As they moved off, another pair of eyes watched impassively from behind dark glasses, suspicions building within. Aburame Shino waited until there was enough distance between them, and began tracking Kabuto. It was the first time he'd heard of such an order being given to Naruto – and the first time he'd seen the other Genin since the second stage of the Chuunin Exam.

Coincidences that big in the shinobi world were illogical. Illogical things were threats, more often than not. _And threats are made to be dealt with._

_- _

'I KNOW YOU WANT THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE, BUT UNLESS YOU WANT TO JUMP DOWN SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET INTO A STAND OF TREES, WE NEED TO GET CLOSER.'

Even as huge as the raven's voice had grown, Naruto could barely hear it over the sound of the wind rushing by, and the beating of his ally's wings.

"What'd you say?"

The bird sage shook his head. He had quickly learned after meeting Naruto that the Speaker's tactics were anything but ordinary. Perhaps it was time to follow a winning example. _If experience is any example, he'll cope with what I'm about to do. _Banking to give himself a good angle on the tiny forms of the Sand shinobi, the Ebon Shadow folded his wings and began to drop down to earth, shouting out a call even Naruto could hear.

'GET YOUR FRIENDS READY TO JUMP! I'LL BUZZ THE TARGET AND YOU CAN JUMP DOWN AS THE WIND HITS. IT'S ALL THE SURPRISE YOU'RE GOING TO GET IF YOU'RE USING ME AS TRANSPORTATION!'

The Speaker nodded, turning to Ino and the others.

"Shadow's going to buzz the treetops! When he does, get ready to jump off. Pick a target and get the drop on 'em!"

Neji motioned down in Kankuro's direction.

"I will take the puppet user. He can't do his little trick if I can spot where his chakra is."

Tenten snarled as she saw Temari and the fan on the Sand Genin's back.

"It's payback time for that bitch with the fan. She's mine."

Naruto shrugged as he looked over to Ino, who arched an eyebrow. _Some people handle losing differently than others._

"I'd ask you to help me out with Psycho Boy, but I think you've had enough of demons and nutcases for one lifetime."

The blonde girl watched Tenten clench and unclench the kunai in her right hand, violent intentions evident.

"I'd say the girl with the fan is going to take extra effort."

"Keep your eyes open and your reflexes primed," Naruto muttered. "That chick's plenty twisted."

"Oh, Naruto," she said, voice syrupy sweet, hands clasped together in front of her and batting her eyes at him in exaggerated fashion, "You care! You really care!"

He had the grace to look embarrassed.

"Don't get too excited. I need someone around who thinks I'm sane. Helps me feel normal."

Naruto recovered by looking down and assessing the angle the Ebon Shadow was taking. _You only get one shot to surprise anybody. Make it count._ He brought his hands together, waiting until the raven began to level off.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Nothing appeared on top of the Ebon Shadow, which was exactly what Naruto intended. Instead, a dozen clones, curled up like cannonballs, were dropping down upon the Sand siblings. Gathering his legs underneath him, Naruto motioned to his friends to jump, and set up his attack.

"Naruto Bakuretsu Otaki (Naruto Explosive Cascade)!"

A rustle of leaves pushed aside by falling Kage Bunshin was all the warning Temari and Kankuro got before the clones descended and began to explode. Saving what was left of his chakra, Naruto hadn't made many of them. The chained explosions were still enough to send the Sand shinobi flying apart, Temari and Kankuro barely avoiding hitting nearby trees - and losing their grip on Gaara, who was thrown deeper into the forest.

Tenten was the first to take advantage of the opening, twin scrolls out of her pouch and fluttering in the wind, murder in her eyes. Weapons of all types poured out of them as she swiped her hands across each hidden pocket in turn.

"Die, you sadistic bitch!"

Weapons alone wouldn't be enough to kill Temari, already recovering from the concussion and readying her fan. It _would_ be enough to occupy her and keep the other Sand Genin away. _That'll do for now_.

Riding the wind down, Ino watched Temari shield herself with a gust of air, directing Tenten's weapons back at her or throwing them into the surrounding trees. The pigtailed girl didn't look like as easy a mark as Sakura had been; the Dream Weaver might work, but she had no clue where to start looking for soft spots. Better, at least for now, to just run interference for Tenten and wait for an opportunity to show itself. She had just the thing in mind to help.

Taking out two kunai, Ino reached back into her waist pouch for two exploding seals, rolling them halfway over the handles of the throwing knives. Fisting the weapons in one hand, she reached into the pouch again, drawing forth a pair of smoke bombs. Inserting one each under the exploding seals, she finished wrapping the kunai handles. Cocking her wrist to throw, Ino put two fingers of her other hand in her mouth, letting loose a piercing whistle in Tenten's direction. When the other Leaf Genin looked over, Ino nodded her head sharply toward Temari – and let fly.

_God, I hope she's a little psychic._

The Sand Genin rolled her eyes as the kunai split apart, coming at her from two distinct angles. She spared Ino's attack a lazy backhand wave of her fan, knocking the kunai back – but why was the other girl smiling with hands steepled together? _Oh, no._

Temari's view of Ino vanished in a cloud of inky black smoke, the Leaf Genin detonating the exploding seals on her kunai – and the smoke bombs underneath. Unknown to Ino, her distraction worked even better than she'd thought. Temari had seen what the Dream Weaver had done to Sakura – and had plenty of demons of her own to dredge up. That prospect forced her to shift her attention away from Tenten. The black-haired girl took the hint and hurled a handful of her own smoke bombs.

Hemmed in by the smoke, Temari waved her fan straight up. A cone of air whipped up around the pigtailed girl, drawing in the cloud around her and pushing it up to restore her line of sight. Ino grimaced.

_So much for a distraction_.

Something didn't feel right. Why was their opponent so worried about being able to see if she didn't consider Tenten a threat and Ino couldn't use the Dream Weaver? Then again, it wasn't like she'd come out and said she couldn't use it…

_Unless I'm completely off base, she's afraid of the Dream Weaver! She'd have to see me in order to avoid my probe._

Ino twisted her mouth in the most evil smile she could muster, hands moving in the Yume Oriko no Jutsu's special sequence.

_Who am I to disappoint a waiting audience?_

"Ninpou: Yume Oriko no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Dream Weaver)!"

Temari set her feet and prepared to jump away from the probe when it appeared - then Ino's hands froze in place, one seal before the end of the sequence, her smile dark and nasty.

_Why'd she stop?_

The answer came from behind her, Tenten screaming a warcry.

"Hijutsu: Tsurugi no Mai (Secret Technique: Dance of the Blades)!"

Training with Neji had its benefits – such as making her work on circling behind an enemy as fast as possible. Other than the Hyugas themselves, she was probably the only one who knew her teammate's Byakugan had a blind spot behind his head. She'd never actually _gotten_ anything into that spot, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Now all that work was finally paying off.

The Sand kunoichi did the best she could to bring her fan into play and shield herself - playing right into Tenten's hands.

Every last attack and defense the pigtailed girl used involved that ridiculous fan. Destroying it might well be the key to destroying its mistress. This time, there would be no scrolls, no flashy pretense. Just steel on steel, weapon against weapon.

Her father had minced no words when she'd asked for the weapons she was going to use. _Use these wisely. If you don't, you'll be tarnishing legacies – mine and your mother's_. Kazumasa didn't have to worry. _They're going to a good cause._

Her parents' Shijin blades bit into the edge of Temari's fan and kept on going with chakra-enhanced speed, cutting half the giant weapon off. Staring at the damaged weapon in her hands, the Sand Genin's eyes shot wide open, murderous intent rising in an instant. Tenten blanched. _Suddenly I'm wondering who's really the craziest of all three of them…_ In a flash the pigtailed girl was upon her, not even bothering to use the broken fan, just frantically trying to get her hands around Tenten's neck.

"YOU BITCH! YOU UNBELIEVABLE FUCKING BITCH! YOU'RE DEAD! I SWEAR TO EVERY GOD IN EXISTENCE I'LL KILL YOU A DOZEN TIMES OVER! THERE WON'T EVEN BE ENOUGH LEFT OF YOUR ASHES TO FIT IN AN URN!"

A light tap on her shoulder shocked Temari out of her savage frenzy, turning her head to see the threat. Ino screwed her face up in an exaggerated pout.

"Don't I rate any notice?"

The Sand kunoichi didn't get a chance to answer. Ino's fist, clutching a kunai for added impact, crashed into her jaw even as she was trying to turn, spinning the older girl around to slump face down on the forest floor. The blonde Leaf Genin swung her kunai around on one finger as she helped Tenten up.

"If you were going to cut anything, you should have cut her, not the fan. The last thing we need is a girl who's gone batshit crazy about losing her toy."

A crazed scream from Temari's position drove Ino's point home.

"Toy _this_!"

It was stretching things to say the Leaf girls were _surprised_ to be blown across the clearing. But considering Temari had waved her ruined fan hard enough to summon a hurricane and only gotten a stiff breeze, there were some eyebrows raised. Ino cursed; it hadn't hurt her, but Temari, broken fan or not, now had an open route to hook up with Kankuro, who Neji had backed up a fair bit.

"Neji! A little help with Psycho Girl here?"

The Hyuga prodigy ducked another weapon attack from Kankuro's doll, shifting his Byakugan to put both enemies in view. He immediately regretted it. Karasu sprayed an entire brace of bombs at him, just as Temari waved her fan in his direction.

_Only shinobi could make children's toys into deadly weapons._

With two Genin after her hide, Temari wasn't going to waste time sending normal smoke bombs at him. No matter what was in them, he didn't need to be inhaling it. Digging a toe into the loamy dirt, Neji spun in a quick Kaiten, throwing up a cloud of earth and dust to knock back the unknown bombs. With that counter move blocking his view of the Sand-nins, he took the hint and moved back to where Ino and Tenten stood.

"Suddenly I wonder if I should still be asleep underneath the stadium."

"And miss all this fun?"

All three Leaf Genin looked up as an explosion rocked the clearing, driving Temari and Kankuro further back. A golden-haired form shot through the smoke, sliding to a crouch beside Ino. Naruto grinned at his friends' surprised looks. Ino spared a brief moment to smack him upside the head.

"What happened to going after Gaara?"

"Time enough to do that once we take these two out. You wanted help, didn't you?"

"I also wanted somebody to take that freak out already!"

"Some people," Naruto shook his head ruefully, "don't know what the hell they want. Let's just finish these two off. When we do, the odds against Gaara will be a hell of a lot better."

Neji damped down his ally's enthusiasm.

"I don't have much chakra left. One large Kaiten will probably take the rest. Even if we finish these two quickly I won't be able to contribute anything to fighting Gaara."

"Then we'll make it count. I've got a bit of a plan. If it works right we can take them both out at the same time."

Tenten didn't look too convinced.

"How do we get close enough to do that when she can still blow us back here with one wave of her fan?"

"Patience, O Hair-Bunned One. That's what I'm here to do. How much speed can you get behind a kunai or shuriken with all your weight behind it?"

She bristled, but did the sums in her head.

"Plenty fast. The only reason Psycho Girl dodged my throws in the first place was because she had that wind to deflect everything. I know she never actually saw what I threw at her."

"Not good enough," Naruto grunted. "At least not for what I've got planned. You're gonna need an assist. Neji, you ever try doing something other than deflecting stuff with your Kaiten?"

The other boy's eyes glinted with a hint of understanding.

"No. But I have no problem with a little improvisation."

"That's what I'm talking about. Now, Ino, what's your opinion of amusement park rides?"

That question got Naruto nothing more than a dozen confused eyeblinks from her.

"Huh?"

The spiky-haired Genin sighed and threw another handful of smoke bombs into the clearing, taking Ino's hand and walking a good distance backwards with her in tow.

"Never mind. Just try not to scream."

Tenten crooked an eyebrow.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up and back up halfway between Neji and me! Give me a five-second head start, and then start running forward! You'll get the point."

"You know, Naruto, now I'm curious," Ino said, hand still clutched in his. "What _are_ you doing?"

He turned and gave her the strangest smile she'd ever seen.

"You trust me?"

"Um, I guess so."

"Good. Then hang on."

Before she could ask why, Naruto seized her about the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder, running towards Tenten and Neji. Hoping Ino would take the hint and free his arms up, he released her body and brought his hands together in front of him, first in one set of seals, and then another, before bending his knees and leaping headlong at Tenten.

The black-haired girl, barely understanding what Naruto was doing, took off running herself – and then Naruto and Ino exploded into a puff of smoke, leaving only a Fuuma shuriken behind. Her eyes shot wide open, finally understanding what Naruto was planning to do.

_Is he INSANE?_

It was too late to stop him anyway. Considering what she'd been able to do against Temari on her own, why not try something new? Plucking the "shuriken" out of mid-air, Tenten too left her feet, three Leaf Genin now bearing down on Neji, just now beginning to spin at maximum speed. Tenten braced herself for the impact, expecting to bounce right off Neji's ultimate defense mechanism – until she saw the smirk on his face, and the telltale glow of his chakra shield fading away. Opening one hand, the Hyuga prodigy grabbed his teammate by one ankle and swung her with all his might.

Temari readied her fan as the smoke began to clear. She could hear noises from the Leaf-nins. What was going on? Tenten's scream and a Fuuma shuriken exploding out of the dispersing smoke were her only answers.

"Let's see you block this with your broke-ass toy!"

The Sand girl didn't know whether to be insulted or amused. The damage to her fan hurt, but she could compensate with chakra. Motioning Kankuro back, Temari began to manifest a slight battle aura, pumping as much chakra into her fan as possible. For a brief moment, pure energy replaced the missing half of her tool, before she waved it in a contemptuous backhand to swat the "Fuuma shuriken" down.

When the shuriken kept on coming, the two Sand Genin realized something might be up – a moment too late to do anything about it. The thrown weapon split, blurring and resolving into two forms: Naruto and Ino, a glowing, angular field surrounding them and redirecting Temari's wind blast. Naruto gave his blonde target a brief wink before his flying kick blasted her to the ground.

"Who knew there was a use for studying math after all?"

Kankuro tightened up his chakra strings, ready to switch places with Karasu and dodge Ino's move.

"What the hell?"

He might as well have tried to eat soup with a fork.

"Ninpou: Shitenshin no Jutsu (Body-Mind Switch)!"

Ino spared him one last thought before leaping into his body, pinpointed by Neji just before Tenten had released them.

_Sometimes old tricks are the best tricks_.

Naruto brushed dirt off his pants as he stood up, glancing over at Neji.

"Still feel like taking a nap?"

"More than ever."

"We've really gotta work on your sense of adventure."

Why did that inspire a look of surprise on the prodigy's face?

"Naruto!"

Turning sharply, the blonde boy had just enough time to see Temari lunge at him, weapon drawn. But before the attack could connect, a massive brown form shot out of the treeline, sending the Sand girl flying into a nearby oak with one swipe. Lady Sunflower watched her target slump to the ground before turning to Naruto.

'Just how were the wolves were pacified by a boy who cannot tell if his enemy is actually finished?'

"Politics," he muttered, "is a game, not a fight. It's a lot easier to kick a game board over and start again than it is to stop a war."

Lady Sunflower made a amused noise deep in her throat.

'I will remember that the next time you attempt to settle a dispute. Perhaps a ball game with these intruders' heads?'

The Speaker snorted at the giant bear's attempted humor.

"You want to take out your aggression, do it on a hunt. A soldier's only there because someone made him go. Defeat's a good enough punishment until they prove they can't take the hint."

'Fair enough. The last time we retaliated against you humans it brought nothing but grief. We are even now, young one. You saved my people, and I have saved you in return.'

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Great friggin' timing, I might add."

'Who can tell when you humans have lowered your pride enough to accept help?'

"When I have to stop chasing one demon to beat down two psychos, it might be a good sign."

'I shall make a note of it. Then again, you will be the one calling me from now on, so why bother?'

The Speaker could take a hint.

"What happened to us being even?"

'We may have more need of you in the future. It seemed prudent to ensure your cooperation.'

Naruto threw up his hands in amazement.

"Wow. And you're lecturing _me_ about pride?"

Shaking his head, he turned to the others and jerked a thumb back.

"Meet Lady Sunflower, head of the local bear tribe. Talks a good game. I suppose we oughta thank her for backing us up."

"Is it wise," Neji grinned, "to be arguing with an animal three times your size, even when you understand what she's saying?"

"Hell no. But when you're bargaining favors, you gotta expect a little tension. Especially from something with more pride than a star of stage and screen."

'Flattery will get you nowhere. We are wasting time with banter. Did you not say you had been chasing a demon of some sort?'

"Well, yeah, but it's not like he's actually going to be _that_ hard to find."

Still in Kankuro's body, Ino intended to respond – but that died in her throat as _something_ burst out of the forest, rising out of the trees, even smashing some flat through its sheer size. Obviously it was something Kankuro feared, his body spasming and flinching in sheer physical panic. Pointing up at the new addition, Ino managed to croak out a retort after all.

"Naruto, you suck as a prophet."

Lady Sunflower, as proud as ever, made a rude noise.

'Tanukis. When they're not stealing your food supplies, they're trashing your territory. Let us go and, as you humans so inelegantly put it, "waste that thing."'

_'you will do no such thing.'_

A disembodied voice floated by on the wind, the trees all around the boys, girls and one bear rustling in unison, almost speaking into their minds. Tenten covered her ears in reflex.

"Don't tell me! He really _is_ contagious!"

Naruto bristled, going bright red in the face.

"Aw, shut up already! That's no animal I've ever heard talking."

_'correct_.'

Even Ino was surprised to be hearing the voice loud and clear. Wasn't her ability fading?

"Well then, what are you?"

Still rustling, the trees around the Leaf Genin exploded upwards, growing and lengthening, weaving together in a canopy so tight the sun barely trickled through the few openings. The voice spoke again, this time seeming to echo.

_'i am konoha. the avatar of this land, the source of the speaker's power.'_

Neji arched an eyebrow.

"You are the very forest itself?"

_'not merely the forest. all of this place, from the mountains and streams to the forest, even the wasteland, is mine to watch over. watch over it I shall. the interloper shukaku presumes to believe he can threaten my charges, my creations, without consequences. this is an insult most grave. insults are to be punished.'_

"Interloper?" Naruto muttered. "Since when is that thing a part of Nature?"

_'it is not. it is of makai. the creatures of makai exist only to defile, to slaughter and destroy. they must be purged. speaker, you shall come with me. there is work to be done.'_

Lady Sunflower looked shocked.

'Lord Avatar, this is unprecedented. No Speaker has ever called on your power. None of them has even been _allowed_ to do so. What's more, I was here first. Do you doubt my ability to fight?'

_'there is no time to debate whose power is supreme, child, though you know what the answer would be. threats from man, or from another avatar's creations, i trust my children to deal with. but to deal with makai is my duty. intrude not upon it.'_

The bear chief grumbled, but sat down. Naruto didn't quite know where to address the Avatar; he settled for talking straight up.

"So you're going to let me summon you?"

_'incorrect. i cannot be summoned. my duties preclude such behavior. i appear only when i am most needed in my lands. such has only occurred once before now, when the first of your kind settled this place. in exchange for my aid, he agreed to respect nature as much as possible – for a human.'_

Tenten nudged Neji with an elbow.

"Is it talking about who I think it's talking about?"

The Hyuga boy shrugged.

"It does explain why the First Hokage – the _Fire_ Shadow – had a _Wood_ Element jutsu as his trump card."

_'the one you speak of was somewhat respectful for one of the younger races. however, after some time even he began to see me as nothing more than another tool. i realized my mistake then. no man or beast has been allowed to use my power so freely since. the mother's creations should exist by their own means. it is only when such things as shukaku and others of makai that my power is truly required.'_

"Then why," Naruto grumbled, "don't I ever hear of the forest rising up to fight the Ninetails?"

_'the previous speaker preferred to concentrate on her allegiance to the human world. as i was not apparently needed i allowed the humans to do what they would. fortunately for them, they succeeded.'_

Naruto muttered a curse to himself.

_Great. First a bear with more pride than Sasuke, and now a forest with more pride than the bear_.

"Forget I asked. Can we just go fight that thing and get this over with?"

_'first you must decide what form i shall take to battle. as you are speaker you are granted this privilege, which the other human was not.'_

"How the hell do I do that?"

_'it will come to you. choose wisely.'_

Expecting his arm to start burning again, Naruto was stunned to feel the sensation coming from his forehead – right between his eyes, in fact. Tearing off his forehead protector, the blonde boy slapped both hands his head, cradling it and breathing in strangled gasps as the mark burned its way into his skin and soul. Angrily he demanded answers from the Avatar.

"What the FUCK is the idea of branding my forehead?"

_'did you think the mark of man you wear is the only one you owe allegiance to? you are a speaker. to forget that is to abandon a duty as solemn as the one you have sworn to the human world. such is the price of your power.'_

Naruto bristled at the implied insults to him and his mother.

"When have I ever forgotten my duty? I saved the bears, didn't I?"

_'better to nip a problem in the bud than struggle to correct it when it appears.'_

The Speaker rubbed the new mark on his forehead.

"I'll remember that the next time Konohamaru gets out of line."

_'attend to human affairs later. there is no time to waste.'_

Tenten looked at Naruto, wondering if she'd just stepped through some kind of weird dimensional portal without looking. Where a few minutes before his brow had borne the symbol of the Leaf Village, a character had appeared on the blonde's forehead: Moku (Wood). Another mark had flashed briefly on his arm near the others, most likely for the bear that had saved him, but it was impossible to miss the Avatar's sigil.

Naruto didn't say much of anything, keeping his own counsel.

_This isn't over, you overgrown, twig-brained asshole. For now, you get a pass. Saving my friends and family comes first._

What mattered was taking down whatever Gaara had become, defending his people, human and animal. Pride could wait. And if indeed the Avatar was going to stir itself to fight, it might as well do so looking dignified – or at least badass. Naruto bit his thumb and smeared his blood slowly over the Avatar's mark.

"All right, I've got something. Can you pull it off?"

_'the choice is made. prepare yourself.'_

The forest floor roiled beneath him, more trees emerging from the ground to shelter Ino, Neji, Tenten and Lady Sunflower. Hundreds of roots began to explode upwards, questing for sunlight, weaving and winding together. One large mass formed underneath Naruto, lifting him up as the Avatar continued to build itself into what he'd chosen.

Watching beneath the tree canopy, Ino transferred herself out of Kankuro's body. Disoriented, the Sand Genin staggered about for a brief moment – before Lady Sunflower rose lazily from her seat and cold-cocked him with a backhand paw to the face. Rising groggily, Ino opened her eyes to see the Avatar was still shaping itself.

"What could you possibly make with a bunch of trees, Naruto?"

Neji chuckled in amusement.

"Given his imagination, we'll be surprised whatever happens. Sit back, enjoy the show and make sure these two Sand Genin are really out of the fight. That's what I recommend given the condition we're all in."

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest, as the bed of roots he stood on continued to rise into the air. Looking down, he felt and saw whole trees rising from the earth, trunks becoming limbs, the Avatar becoming what he had seen in his mind. As the creature built itself higher and higher, the Speaker could see a tanuki-shaped thing in the distance, standing still with tail waving in lazy menace, as though waiting for a target.

The blonde Genin bared his teeth, rage boiling over inside.

_All of this pain, having to kowtow to some tree god, just to kick your ass. You're going to wish you'd never been born._

The Avatar spoke and brought him out of his thoughts.

_'it is done, human. the battle is joined.'_

Towering above the forest, a massive form now stood ready for battle, eyes glowing with a baleful green light, maw full of spiked roots, one giant oaken foot smashing into the ground in challenge.

Naruto's mouth twisted into a terrible, savage caricature of a smile.

"Mokuton: Mokuryu no Jutsu (Wood Element: Wooden Dragon no Jutsu)."

As he spoke, the dragon lunged forward, claws outstretched for battle.

**BONUS: Naruto's Wild Kingdom!**

**Habu Pit Viper (_Trimeresurus flavoviridis_)**

**Description:** Light brown or olive-yellow with black markings and a yellow or greenish-white belly.

**Characteristics:** This snake is responsible for biting many humans and its bite could be fatal. It is an irritable species ready to defend itself. Its venom is hemotoxic, causing pain and considerable tissue damage.

**Habitat:** Found in a variety of habitats, ranging from lowlands to mountainous regions. Often encountered in old houses and rock walls surroundings buildings.

**Length:** Average 1 meter, maximum 1.5 meters.

**Distribution:** Okinawa and neighboring islands and Kyushu.

**Source:** SurvivalIQ Handbook

**Black Mamba** **(_Dendroaspis polylepis_)**

**Description:** Most mambas are uniformly bright green over their entire body. The black mamba, the largest of the species, is uniformly olive to black.

**Characteristics:** The mamba is the dreaded snake species of Africa. Treat it with great respect. It is considered one of the most dangerous snakes known. Not only is it highly venomous but it is aggressive and its victim has little chance to escape from a bite. Its venom is highly neurotoxic.

**Habitat:** Mambas are at home in brush, trees, and low-hanging branches looking for birds, a usual diet for this species.

**Length:** Average 1.8 meters, maximum 3.7 meters.

**Distribution:** Most of Africa.

**Source:** SurvivalIQ Handbook

AUTHOR'S NOTES 

Well, here it is. Four months, ten thousand-plus words, and one new real life job later, Chapter 19 is finally finished. If you enjoyed it, great. If you didn't, at this point, I'm too tired and worn out to care anymore. Flame all you want.

Oh, and I hate FFN. What the hell happened to being able to use symbols, for Christ's sake? And would it kill them to be able to recognize asterisks as scene breaks?

Next chapter: Naruto vs. Gaara, Avatar vs. Shukaku! The most monumental showdown to date…plus, where is Kabuto taking Sasuke?


	20. Power Plays

**Naruto: Bloodlines**

by The SOC Puppet

**Part 20 – Power Plays**

Summary: As the Leaf found itself under attack, many of its shinobi had to dig deep within themselves to defend their home. Naruto and company took care of the Sand-nin Kunimitsu, and took out Temari and Kankuro before Naruto was "drafted" by the Konoha Forest itself to fight Gaara's completed demonic form. Iruka proved that he was worthy of a place as a teacher of shinobi, by helping Anko and Hinata to finish off three Sound-nins. And as Kabuto led Sasuke off to try and turn his loyalties, Shino began to follow, holding his own suspicions.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this story, except for originals like the Uzumaki family. The characterization of the Fourth Hokage is all my creation, as is his relationship to Naruto. All jutsus are also not my invention, other than the ones that Naruto will learn as the story goes on.

" " – Speech

_Italics_ – Thoughts

– Misc. Speech

"Amazing! If I didn't know any better, I'd say Naruto-kun managed to learn the secret of the First Hokage's ultimate jutsu!"

Sasuke was getting heartily tired of this "patrol mission" Kabuto had drafted him on. Between the lack of opponents, Kabuto's constant heaping of praise on that idiot, and now some giant wooden beast springing out of the forest to fight Gaara, he was giving serious thought to deserting his comrade and heading into the city to get some action.

The Genin was also giving thought to what the hell that wooden thing was. Naruto was becoming a great mystery, powers and techniques appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Most of it had happened where he couldn't see it. It didn't matter. The rumors were enough to start churning his thoughts into a froth.

The three Mist-nins in the Forest of Death, taken out in a single attack. Inuzuka Kiba, and then Hyuga Neji, both defeated in one-on-one combat. To have beaten the dog-boy was one thing. To take out the previous year's Number One rookie was another entirely. Next thing you knew, Naruto would be thinking he could win if the two of them faced each other; a wholly intolerable state of affairs.

All the confidence in the world meant nothing without concrete information. The Uchiha didn't create techniques. The Uchiha _assimilated_ techniques. The world was their oyster. Genetic memory compensated for the lack of scrolls and oral instruction. You were taught the basics, and you took in the rest on your own. When his father had actually walked him through the Goukakyu no Jutsu, he'd looked ashamed at doing so. An Uchiha did not _know_ so much as he _intuited_. Chakra flowed and was shaped, the body aping another's actions, a shadow of a shadow. But without information, eyes that could pierce the deepest secrets saw nothing at all. Nothing was gained, nothing taken. Stagnation. An utter waste of his time.

Orders were orders. Uchiha Sasuke kept listening - and fuming.

Farther away, Aburame Shino watched the silly farce continue. He'd seen Kabuto's little card trick before the Chuunin Exam started. For someone who relied so heavily on tangible data, the bespectacled Leaf-nin was showing himself to be just as comfortable spreading nonsense. First a phantom order to come to the back of beyond, and now praising Naruto to the heavens. None of it made sense. Certainly Uzumaki Naruto was skilled; victory didn't lie. But to have duplicated the First Hokage's tree summoning jutsu when even the Professor himself, the Third Hokage, was unable to do so? Ludicrous.

All of this praise was empty. Empty except in that it fulfilled some ulterior motive of Kabuto's in relation to Sasuke. Everyone knew the Uchiha survivor had it in for his older brother. Everyone could see that he would do anything to become strong enough to do so, even steal a hard-earned move from a shinobi who had little else like Rock Lee. Mentioning something powerful that he couldn't copy in his wildest dreams was guaranteed to get a rise out of Uchiha Sasuke.

But why? The exam was over and Kabuto had pulled out of it anyway. Fighting his own comrade – especially while the village was under attack – was totally illogical. Kabuto was simply not the type of shinobi to do something that made no sense. Those cards alone were proof. So why waste time baiting Sasuke when people were dying?

There was the obvious first impression all children had of adults. Maybe whoever had ordered Kabuto around (if he or she existed at all) was simply a moron. But the Leaf wasn't so hidebound that you couldn't ignore orders that made no sense. If Kabuto had been told to patrol an empty patch of forest, he'd have turned around and been in the thick of the fighting by now.

Next, there was the possibility that Kabuto was just a coward. Pulling out of the Chuunin Exam certainly supported that angle. But nobody was that stupid. Baiting Sasuke like this could lead to a fight, exactly the kind of thing a coward would want to avoid.

That led him to the most disturbing theory. Backstab or otherwise kill Sasuke out here, and Kabuto could probably get away with saying he'd killed a coward or traitor trying to flee. Naruto wasn't the only boy in the village who hated Sasuke and what he represented. In the chaos of an attack, nobody would even find Sasuke's body until it had decomposed enough to eliminate most of the evidence against his killer. Kabuto was just the sort to have all of the details planned out well in advance, including taking advantage of the situation to issue a fake, but plausible order.

Maybe he was jealous. Maybe he was a traitor. Either way, he was up to something. Shino adjusted his sunglasses slightly, moving to give himself a better vantage point and placing a single bug on the tree trunk next to him to take in the scene and report back to his family, if necessary. If Kabuto was to be stopped, he had to have proof of any wrongdoing. One didn't simply accuse the son of a chief medical officer of treason or murder without it.

As for Uchiha Sasuke, if he was really as good as advertised, he could take care of himself for a few seconds until help arrived.

It seems even logical boys are human.

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"You seem distracted, student. Has your absence made you forget that I could fight once?"

Orochimaru scoffed at the Third Hokage, even as he brushed aside the slightest hint of irritation. Modifying his plans to attack the village had been dicey, to say the least. A grand illusion was never easy to pull off, and letting a team that hadn't practiced it do it instead of Kabuto was a risk he never would have allowed if the situation hadn't called for it.

The Uzumaki boy was showing his heritage now, one that didn't interest the sage, but would certainly push Sasuke towards finding its better. Finding him. There would never be a better time to turn the boy. He'd changed plans accordingly. Now all that was left was to wait for Kabuto's signal flare, and a new era would be ushered in. His era. Limitless potential for acquiring the knowledge he craved, all under his control. Akatsuki could have their demon. The Sharingan was the final step in making him a living god.

He was no god yet. Gods controlled all they surveyed. The affairs of mortals were beneath them, the swarming of gnats and insects. Gods did not have to depend on lackeys in a faraway forest to accomplish their aims, nor watch as potential tools were taken from them by disease and corruption. To be human was to confront inadequacy, day upon day. To face the specter of death. And if he had to go through a thousand bodies and souls to cheat it, so be it.

Ah, Kimimaro. Tremendous talent wasted in an inferior vessel, destined now to be lost to him. Destined to wither away, never seeing the glorious dawn of his immortality. A pity, but such was the fate of such fools as the Kaguya. It was imperative that he capture the Uchiha now, before human frailties could do their damage. But even if Kabuto succeeded, the man who stood in his way had to be dealt with before the snake Sennin could proceed. A hero, a genius, shrunken and ravaged by age. A fate he would never share. A fate that deserved mercy, in the form of oblivion.

"I was reflecting on the power of chance, Sarutobi-sensei. Who could have foretold this place would endure so long without being undone by its own hubris?"

"There is pride in a job well done," the Third rasped, "and then there is empty puffery. You never did understand the difference."

"Such words! Such pride in fulfilling another's goals! For what? Money? Glory? Nothing endures in this chaotic world. Nothing but life, for those few who find the secret. And when you found that I had discovered it, what did you do? You tried to kill me! Small wonder I found my own way instead."

The Hokage burned with secret shame, his greatest failure staring him in the face.

"And see what you have made of yourself. A mockery of the life you claim to champion, a mockery of a man. Spreading chaos, treachery and death, condemning children to an existence of pain and servitude. If that is life, it isn't worth living."

Mocking laughter. The mirth of a man who could not be bothered with such trivia. The old man gathered what little of his former strength was left.

"Shall I relieve you of your burdens and let you join your ancestors?"

The Hokage removed his robe to reveal armor, the clash of metal drowning out the creaking of joints.

"Death will come for me when I have accomplished all the duties left to me, and not before. You will just have to make do until I join you in the afterlife."

Orochimaru roared his laughter across the roof of the stadium.

"And who is doing the empty puffing now?"

"There is, as always, only one way to find out."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is there a reason we're just standing here watching that tanuki wave its tail and giggle like a maniac?"

Naruto stood atop the Avatar's wooden construct, the dragon's inhuman golden eyes staring coldly at its demonic foe. The nature spirit made a noncommittal noise.

_'I have never battled Shukaku, though I know of it. It is unwise to enter a battle blind. First blood is for bragging rights, but only heart's blood counts.'_

The Genin spat in Gaara's general direction.

"In other words, you don't want to let him make an ass out of you, so you're gonna counter instead of tryin' to use the few seconds we had of surprise to kick his tail."

The dragon's silence was damning.

"Why am I not surprised in the slightest?"

_'You will one day learn that politics are not just for humans and animals.'_

"Look, we're here to defend this place, damn it! Don't go accusing my mother of shirking her duty if you're gonna stand around and fret about lookin' bad to the other walking leaf-heads!"

_'Do not presume to order me around like a minion. The last human to make such a mistake never drew upon my power again.'_

"Then show me why I'm supposed to respect you, or slink back into the forest and let me do my job!"

Anything the Avatar would have said was cut off by the cackling of Gaara, or what the Sand-nin had become.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO. YOU'RE NO FUN. YOU'RE GOING TO DIE AT MY HANDS."

_'Better beings than you have tried and failed. Miserably.'_

The tanuki-thing inhaled a giant breath, then emptied its lungs in a blast of air, drumming its gut with a powerful blow.

"FUUTON: RENKUUDAN (Wind Element: Drilling Air Bullet)!"

Naruto felt branches grab him and draw him inside the dragon's head, his vision becoming an amber haze as he stared through the Avatar's "eyes."

_'Fool. The willow bends but does not break_.'

The dragon curled its "toes," roots digging into the ground to anchor it as the wooden beast crouched down underneath Shukaku's attack. Wind howled and trimmed stray branches off its hardened surface, its force otherwise blunted. Naruto grinned mostly to himself.

"Now that's more like it."

_'Do not get used to this. Shukaku requires a medium to enter the world. For now the medium is in control. but should something happen to the medium to make its consciousness retreat, this battle will become more difficult than anyone could have imagined_.'

"Retreat? Wouldn't that happen when he goes to sleep or something? Seems to me your brain ain't working when you're conked out."

_'Have you looked at the medium's eyes? Vessels of Shukaku do not sleep, if they wish to keep their souls intact. Any loss of control, intentional or not, is an opening to allow the demon to grasp power. Once it has done so, it does not give back what it has stolen. The ultimate result can only be the death of the vessel's humanity_.'

"How is that any different from how this maniac already acts?"

_'You do not want to know_.'

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

_'If the medium loses consciousness, he will have to be disturbed, lest Shukaku enter a state in which even I will have difficulty containing him. Certainly he will do his utmost to keep the medium from being touched or otherwise interfered with. If we are to succeed, Shukaku will have to be distracted. I am told you are good at such things.'_

"Yeah, pretty much."

_'We will come to that. For now, I shall remind this trash I am no mere beast to be hunted_.'

Tree trunks and vines shifting positions, the dragon converted itself from a blocky, stout form to a longer, sinewy body, trading power for speed. The Avatar bunched its now-lengthened tail and hind legs, springing forth at the giant tanuki. Naruto braced himself against the back of his enclosure as momentum pressed him backwards, trying to figure out how best to deal with the creature Gaara had become.

"Don't go for the head straight off! Knowing what you just said, he's gonna expect us to try and take Gaara out. Feint at his head and cut his legs out from under him. While he's reforming 'em I can take a shot at Gaara!"

_'Ambitious, but within reason. You will have to be accurate and decisive. I doubt Shukaku would allow you more than one clean attack_.'

"I'll think of something."

_'Do so quickly. In the meantime, we attack!'_

Spikes in the form of roots began to grow all along the charging dragon's spine. Leaping up, the Avatar whipped itself into motion, snapping the spikes off and launching them at Shukaku's face.

_'Threaten my lands, will you?'_

The giant tanuki smashed aside the rain of wood with another blast of air, forcing the dragon to twist aside to avoid its own attack. The Avatar grumbled something that sounded like a curse as it landed. Naruto looked at where Shukaku was already beginning to prepare for another assault.

"Is wood all you can send at him? One good blast of sand and he's gonna grind through any tree or wall you can put up."

_'I am a nature spirit. The elements are easy enough to control. But this place not the village of the Hidden Leaf? It seemed somehow appropriate.'_

"Appropriate? We're not trying to score points for sticking to the script!"

_'I assume you have a suggestion then?'_

"Yeah. Gimme a second or three."

Tenten, watching the action from the forest below, nearly jumped into the nearest tree when a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, ya mind if I borrow something from you?"

The black-haired kunoichi bristled at being surprised in the middle of a battle.

"Don't _DO_ that!"

"Do what?" he shrugged. "It's just a Kage Bunshin."

"I meant don't just tap my shoulder from behind in the middle of a fight between giant dragons and tanukis and bears and stuff! Do you _want_ me to put a kunai between your eyes out of reflex?"

The Naruto clone developed a large sweatdrop.

"Um, you _did_ hear the booming noise when I showed up, right? It's kinda hard to miss."

It was at that moment Tenten discovered that Kage Bunshins tended to go _pop_ when you stuck them with pointy objects. She was also to discover that Naruto learned social lessons at a pace only slightly slower than a sloth's. Another clone appeared in a burst of smoke.

"What the hell did ya do that for? I'm in the middle of a battle here! This is serious stuff!"

Face flushed with equal parts rage and embarrassment, Tenten popped this clone too.

"Shut up, you stupid loudmouth!"

Up inside the Avatar, Naruto rolled his eyes. This time he wasn't taking any chances. Two clones appeared to his teammate's sides, holding her arms in place, while a third popped up right in the kunoichi's face.

"Dammit, calm down! I'm sorry already! I just need a Fuuma Shuriken!"

"Get your own!" she snapped at him.

"What do you think, I just walk around with giant flying blades stuffed in my pockets? You're the only one I know that's got easy access to that stuff!"

Tenten sniffed.

"What happened to summoning gigantic animals and blowing up the scenery?"

"I used that on humans! Take a damn look! I'm tryin' to fight off a hundred-foot tall tanuki demon thing! I'm pretty sure that calls for a change in tactics! You know, like _working as a team?_"

Tenten snapped back without even having to consider it.

"Some team. You're not even going to attempt to let us help you. This is our village too, Naruto."

Naruto released her, two of the three clones disappearing. So that was what was behind all of this.

"You all told me you were out of chakra! What was I supposed to think?"

She pointed up to where the real Naruto and Avatar were busily attacking and counterattacking Shukaku.

"How am I not supposed to want to fight? One wrong move and we could all be crushed by that thing! If I'm going to die here, I'd rather do it fighting for something I believe in, even if it's just with a tool. It doesn't take chakra to throw a shuriken."

The remaining clone fixed her with a piercing stare.

"You seriously want in?"

"Would I still be standing here if I didn't?"

"Got a point there. All right, you're in. When the time's right, I'll give you guys a signal and the rest of the plan. You might want to tell Neji and Ino before you rope them in though."

She drew one of her scrolls out warily, eyeing the battle above.

"I don't get it. What are you going to do with one Fuuma Shuriken against a hundred-foot tall tanuki demon thing?"

The clone grinned a fox grin.

"Test out an old wives' tale."

Turning, the Kage Bunshin motioned to Neji, Ino and Lady Sunflower, the bear chief still sitting atop Temari and Kankuro.

"Get under cover! You don't wanna be exposed to the elements when this really gets going!"

Ino blinked.

"What plan? You make plans and things start blowing up all over the place."

"Exactly, so unless you enjoy hospital food, you'd better get the hell out of here. You can leave the Sand freaks there if you like. I would, anyway."

'Ah, cruelty,' Lady Sunflower chuckled. 'The hallmark of humanity.'

The clone shrugged.

"Step onto someone else's turf and threaten their people, you deserve what you get. Now go already!"

The three Leaf Genin (and one bear) moved into the trees, Neji hogtying the Sand siblings. The Kage Bunshin watched them for a few seconds before turning and hurling the Fuuma Shuriken towards the Avatar. The real Naruto stretched a hand out of an opening in the wooden dragon's head, drawing the weapon inside.

_'What exactly do you intend to do with something that puny against a creature of Makai?'_

"Brew up a few stormclouds and we'll see. But first, toss as much dust and leaves as you can into the air. I'm gonna need cover to try this out; better to make it look natural instead of me usin' a smoke bomb or something."

_'Too late!'_

"What now?"

_'Look at its head!'_

Through the dragon's amber eyes, Naruto caught sight of Gaara's hands moving into position in front of him. Something like triumph mixed with horror suffused the Sand-nin's expression as he barked out a command.

"Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu (Spell of Fake Sleep)!"

The Avatar cursed as Gaara slumped over, motionless.

_'Thrice-damned demonspawn! We are in for it now.'_

The giant tanuki burst into a fit of insane laughter, madness now apparently complete.

"FREEDOM AT LAST! FREE TO PILLAGE, DESTROY – AND KILL! YOU'RE FIRST UP!"

_'And here our troubles begin…'_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"So unfortunate. Now it seems the fighters are equally matched. Well, I'm sure Naruto-kun can handle himself even in the face of such an opponent!"

A trivial comment, but it was the hundredth one in less than half an hour from Kabuto. Even Shino would have started snapping at the four-eyed Genin by now, to say nothing of Sasuke.

"Would you shut up about that bottom of the class idiot? I don't need to hear about all the things he can do!"

"No, I suppose you don't," Kabuto mused as if to himself. "Especially when there are many more ways to achieve true power."

The Uchiha boy muttered an unrepeatable curse under his breath. Who was this fool trying to puff up now?

Kabuto sniggered.

"I see you don't believe me. Doesn't that mark on your neck say it all? Orochimaru wasn't born with that power. He had to get it from somewhere."

"How the hell would you know about that?"

"Common sense, which you seem to lack. Never fear, though, that can be learned as well."

"From you?" the black-haired Genin sneered.

Kabuto's reply fairly dripped false cheer.

"Oh, I could try, but you wouldn't want to learn from me."

"If you already know about that, then shut up and drop it."

"Suit yourself," Kabuto sighed. "You'll never get anyone to take you on the path to real power with that attitude."

Sasuke slashed his hand down in the air between the two of them.

"First you drag me along on a crappy mission to the middle of nowhere and now all this talk about phantom teachers? Let's just get this over with so you can annoy someone else!"

He was mildly surprised when the other Genin turned around, eyes hooded and dark even through his glasses.

"I told him you wouldn't understand. I told him you were neither ready nor worthy. But who am I to disagree with the master? All that power to be offered to a child neither deserving nor understanding of its magnitude? A complete waste. And yet here we are."

Sasuke (and Kabuto as well, it seemed) were too engrossed in trying to bore holes through each other with nasty looks to notice a bug on a nearby tree, watching the scene. Shino's eyes narrowed at the mention of "the master." Kabuto was more and less than what he seemed. Less loyal, and more dangerous.

"What master would be stupid enough to have you working for him?"

The Sound spy's retort was sharp enough to cut steel.

"The one who gave you that seal."

Even Shino's eyebrows rose at that one. Suddenly rumors of an S-class former Sennin lurking around the village didn't sound so stupid after all. Sasuke's reaction was a bit less thoughtful. Then again, who would have begrudged him drawing a kunai and attacking the servant of the man who'd caused him all that pain with his cursed seal?

When he attacked, Uchiha Sasuke's strikes were strong and true, fitting of a boy at the top of his class. They were also useless against a shinobi who served as Orochimaru's right-hand man. Kabuto shifted aside sinuously, letting the kunai simply graze his shoulder, the wound healing almost as soon as the knife passed by. The medic-nin's hands passed to either side of Sasuke's head, the barest hint of azure indicating chakra being channeled. The world vanished into stygian darkness.

"If power were determined by blood alone, you would be no better than a mewling kitten right now, Sasuke-_kun_. What is an Uchiha without his eyes?"

This was fairly spat from the lips of Kabuto, the honorific laden with sarcasm. Shino readied his own weapons (and bugs), preparing to move in as the cavalry, when something stopped him. The sound of Sasuke's voice, uncertain with a hint of intrigue.

"And just what is the power you claim _he_ can teach?"

"What he took away," Kabuto replied silkily, "he can return to you. The seal is proof of your worthiness, and the gate to greater power than even the Leaf could conceive of. Jutsu unseen for centuries. Dark creatures of greatest might. Even immortality."

Sasuke spat at something out of sight, but not out of mind.

"If he knows me, then he knows what I want. He can have immortality. I just want a head to lay before my family's graves."

"Easily done for one such as Orochimaru-sama. You _will_, of course, have to leave the Leaf. I somehow doubt they would let you join our Sound Village voluntarily."

Shino stayed behind his cover, waiting for the answer. There was still enough time to see whether this was all a ruse to lull Kabuto into distraction.

It wasn't.

"How are you involved in all of this?"

"Couldn't be simpler. I served one master, and now I serve another. He wants you – I can't see why, but who am I to overrule him?"

"Fine. Shut up, take me there and then get out of my way."

Maybe it was a flashback of the massacre, or the shock of seeing Naruto controlling powers worthy of a founding Kage. Feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, impotence. Something as simple as frustration. In the end it didn't matter. It was treason. Understandable or not, coerced or not, it was treason. Betrayal. A capital offense. And the last of the vaunted Uchiha leaving the Leaf.

Silent commands issued, and the swarm was loosed. Old Sound-nin and new Sound-nin turned at the sound of Shino's icy tone.

"Your teammate faces a monster to defend the village; you sell it out while others fight and die. Who is the real idiot?"

Kabuto looked back coolly.

"Some say fighting an unwinnable battle is the mark of a fool."

A cloud of bugs surrounded Shino, the tempest stirring, tensed to strike.

"It is only futile if the traitor escapes alive."

"You can kill him fighting two against one? Your bravado is as big as that cloud of bugs!"

Shino's mouth curled into a twisted smile behind his collar, bugs buzzing to his side by the thousands as they responded to his call.

"You were correct. An Uchiha without his eyes is nothing. I will settle for that, something even you cannot heal, if I can achieve nothing else. And if he dies, then he dies. I will mourn his stupidity, but not his memory."

Kabuto made a pass of his fingers over the same spot where he had blinded his new convert, a Naruto-like smirk on his face.

"Something I cannot heal? Don't be silly."

The smile on Shino's face stayed right where it was.

"You cannot heal what will no longer exist. If you could, what need would Orochimaru have of this traitor?"

Old Sound-nin glanced at "new" Sound-nin.

"Well, I'm not the one hindering you now. What are you going to do about it?"

His sight restored, Sasuke's hands did most of the moving.

"Eliminate it. Stray into my path and I won't guarantee you anything either."

"Do what you like," the silver-haired man sighed.

Shino didn't move, even when flames burst forth from Sasuke's mouth, the fireball his first instinctive attack. The cloud of bugs scattered and the bug-user disappeared, a log left behind to burn. The Leaf-nin cursed inwardly at the risk he was taking with his "charges." Fighting Kabuto, with or without Sasuke's help, would have been difficult, but he could have at least used normal tactics. Fighting Sasuke would require much more care – and subtlety. Fighting _both_? A fool's game at best.

If he wanted to do any real damage, he'd have to separate them – or find a way to control the battlefield. The bug user didn't like leaving his prey behind to try and escape, but if he died now there would be nobody to raise the alarm. Better to back off and try this, than charge forward and waste his weapons – and his life.

There was one saving grace; the Sharingan did not offer full coverage of the battlefield like the Byakugan would have. As long as he stayed out of visual range he could direct his bugs at will; his commands were mental and not chakra-based. Landing on a faraway branch, watching Sasuke and Kabuto search for him, Shino pondered his options. His father's teachings came to him slowly as he thought.

_Make the battlefield your weapon_.

Hordes of termites scattered on silent command, eating away at breakneck speed inside the great trees of Konoha, unseen and unheard. Beetles and dragonflies carried explosive seals to and fro, inert without the hand seal to ignite them. Shino's caricature of a grin returned.

Fire blossomed as trees exploded, Shino setting the forest ablaze in an instant.

Kabuto and Sasuke were shinobi. Falling trees were easy to avoid with a little aerial gymnastics. But every second spent deciding on a new direction to jump and avoid a falling trunk was another second that a stray bug here or there went undiscovered.

"I think I'll let you have some fun with him," the bespectacled man said. "Orochimaru-sama ordered me to notify him when we were ready to set out."

Sasuke didn't even bother watching him go, preferring to keep looking for Shino. There was no point charging up a Chidori at the moment, as the bug user was nowhere to be seen. Before Orochimaru did anything about the curse seal, he had maybe two or three uses of the Chidori a day, and one of those had already been used to puncture Gaara's sand shell. The best way to do things would be to flush Shino.

"Katon: Housenka (Fire Element: Mythical Fire Flower)!"

Fireballs shot out from Sasuke's position, followed quickly by shuriken and any other thrown weapon he could reach, all spraying outwards in different directions. The missing-nin didn't check to see if any hit. He was more interested in sound than blood – the sound of rustling bushes from an escape, or the clash of metal deflecting his thrown weapons. Shino could hide his bug controls, but not his movements. You didn't need 360-degree vision to see that.

A subtle snapping of twigs was all he needed to hear. Charging a Chidori on the fly, Sasuke flashed across the forest floor towards Shino, landing after jumping out of a tree. The Leaf Genin didn't make a bug clone of himself – that would have been a waste anyway; instead, he began backpedaling quickly, even though he was losing ground steadily to Sasuke's speed.

Sasuke watched as bugs began to layer themselves all over the front of Shino's body, indifferent to the covering.

"I broke through Gaara's defenses with this! You think your bugs will save you!"

Why the hell was he smiling with a killing blow headed for him? Sasuke determined to wipe the smile – and perhaps the face – off this new obstacle. His arm pushed forward through the insect barrier, energy surrounding it with lethal intent – and then his entire world was set ablaze, vision hazy and skin burning as though aflame.

"These are bombardier beetles." Shino said coldly. "They may not save me, but they will be the death of your usefulness. One bug can kill another. A swarm will char you to cinders. But all I need to destroy is those eyes in order to do my duty."

Sasuke struck out in the direction of his enemy's voice, but even he knew it was futile. His fist caught nothing but air. He needed something better. Something Shino couldn't see or prepare for.

_Keep him talking. Track his voice or trap him, but get him close_.

"You honestly think Kabuto will just let you kill me after all that crap he spewed about Orochimaru needing me?"

"You told him yourself not to get in your way, and he was not inclined to protest. He will take his time getting back from wherever he went. Time enough for you to be dealt with."

True. Even now he recoiled at the very idea of having to be saved by that smug bastard. But speaking of smug…

"What do you get out of it? If you're so strong, you ought to be doing the same thing I am and finding a way to grow even stronger! Don't get mad at me because I'm doing what you're afraid to!"

Sasuke might not have been able to see, but he could detect the slight catch in Shino's voice, still at the same distance.

"Do not try to compare my motivations with yours."

_Don't play holier-than-thou with me, bug boy_.

"Oh, come on. You think anyone can hear you out here other than Kabuto and me? You got screwed even worse than I did when the teams were assigned. Naruto's an idiot, but at least he's got some power. You got a barely-human idiot with a puppy and a shrinking little mouse. Your sensei's only good at genjutsu, which a smart enough ninja can break through anyway. Admit it. You deserved better and you know it!"

"That is the difference between us. You run from the challenge of working with those weaker than you. I have embraced it. When I am promoted, it will be over with in any event. The only fear here is yours – of honest work."

"What does honesty get you when someone squashes you underfoot like one of your bugs?" Sasuke spat. "Nothing. People remember winners. Winners get things done. Dreamers _talk_. Winners _do_. An ideal isn't worth the breath you take to talk about it if you can't back it up."

Shino's thin laugh was pinched by sarcasm.

"Are you trying to turn me or convince yourself?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"What makes you think I need to do either? What's the world coming to when you can't even try and do someone a favor?"

His eyes narrowed as Shino's voice began to get closer.

"I need no favors from you."

"What a laugh. You want to finish it, then finish it. Just don't blame me when you wake up in bed one early morning and realize you never took a chance!"

Shino took a step forward, in spite of himself.

_How dare he equate himself with me?_

One step was all Sasuke needed, blindness forcing him to rely on the rest of his senses. Whirling around, he charged the area where the air had stirred – and caught air with his outstretched fist.

"You missed," Shino said.

The bug-user was halfway into sending a final command to his bombardier beetles when his world exploded in pain and azure light.

Sasuke heard the "hunter-nin" slam into a nearby tree, pained grunt bringing a smile to his face.

"Did I?"

As much as he hated to give any credit to Naruto, Sasuke owed it to him for even being able to touch Shino in his current condition. The idiot couldn't even complain about one of his moves being stolen. Charging up a Chidori internally wasn't nearly the same as that self-titled bomb. It seemed to work all the same. Better, in fact. Redirecting his chakra out of his feet had given him the burst of speed necessary to make contact with Shino.

He'd lost the piercing power of the normal Chidori, but he couldn't have used it blind anyway. Turning it into a blunt impact was enough for now. Sasuke made another grudging admission – he needed this to buy time for Kabuto to get back. The internal Chidori trick wouldn't work twice and he was fast running out of ideas. If he could get his sight fixed, he could finish it. If not, Shino would get his smirk back.

There were too many things he needed, and too few things under his control. His decision to join Orochimaru was looking better by the minute. The sooner he had enough power to control his own destiny, the sooner he would be free of having to rely on anyone, especially smug assholes like Kabuto. But before then…

_Where the hell did he get off to?_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Naruto stared as Shukaku continued to cackle in its insane high-pitched giggle. He looked through the Avatar's eyes as he addressed the nature spirit.

"So it's more insane than ever! What's the big problem?"

_'The medium is familiar with Shukaku's power, but it does not have the experience to make full use of it in this form. Shukaku knows exactly what it is capable of doing. You had better plan well.'_

"You better believe I've planned well. Can you keep this form and still make more things grow out of the ground?"

_'Easily done.'_

"Okay. Start brewing up the biggest thundercloud you can, with rain and such. When I give the signal, toss up those spikes or something destructive at Gaara. If he uses that wind jutsu to deflect it he'll have to anchor himself. That's when you grab him with every root you can possibly grow. I'll give you the rest of the plan if this part actually works."

_'If? My optimism is dropping by the second_.'

"It's my first time dealing with a crazy bastard who's also got a demon. I'm a little out of my element."

_'Why? Either you win or you lose. There is only one way to find out which.'_

"Fine, brew that storm and grow some vines. I'm going to give the signal to the guys down there to start the plan."

_'Some action for once…'_

The Avatar's snide comment stopped abruptly. The wooden dragon stumbled and then slumped drunkenly to all fours, some of its outer "skin" slackening and falling to earth. Naruto shook his head to clear the cobwebs, looking around to see Shukaku point at them and laugh even harder.

"What the hell's going on?"

_'If I did not know better, I would say someone or something is trying to tap into my power.'_

"Yeah. You're talking to him."

_'Besides you. It should not be possible, and yet it is happening. I do not understand, but I will have an answer_.'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This shouldn't be happening. It can't be happening."

Orochimaru nearly yawned, nonplussed by the Third's stunned expression.

"And yet it _is_, Sarutobi-sensei. Isn't that funny?"

Teacher stared in at student – and his own two teachers. His disbelief quickly faded, to be replaced by seething rage.

"To destroy the bounds of life and death for yourself, I could have foreseen. You were never so motivated as when you could advance your own ends. But to desecrate the souls of those already gone…I'm ashamed of myself as a teacher."

The mad sennin waved a hand in dismissal.

"Oh, why do they _always_ resort to petty melodrama? It couldn't be simpler! The world is better off when it's in motion. Entropy drives man to greater heights than he could ever imagine. It drives him to invent, to improvise, but most of all to evolve. In that environment, there is instantly more to learn, more to acquire. It's the perfect place for me to exist. Why begrudge me a little help from the past to get there?"

The Third's face contorted, an unfamiliar look of rage settling upon it.

"Help implies that you asked for it, or were given it willingly."

"Yes, there is that. You always were good at semantics."

The Hokage said nothing, but his insides were twisting themselves in knots, cold logic's effect. He was overmatched; had been overmatched since the day he'd let Orochimaru live. Then, he'd been aging. Now, he was just old.

"Semantics? Right and wrong have nothing to do with words. Compassion, decency, honor! They're not words to be tossed around, they separate man from beast!"

Pivoting quickly, the Third's hands swept across the village from the rooftop vantage.

"This was the place that gave you life! That nurtured, educated, and allowed you to become what you are! It burns, Orochimaru! Blood stains the streets and screams fill the air!

"It wasn't enough for you to disturb their eternal rest! Now, to imply that the men who built this village would _ever_ be party to its destruction is unforgivable, the action of neither man, beast nor savage!"

Orochimaru's eyes lit up with an inhuman glow, the Third's words triggering something in the madman's heart.

"YES! Precisely! I have transcended mere humanity, even nature itself! What right have you to judge me by the standards of my inferiors?"

The Third tightened his focus, drawing in what remained of his chakra.

"The right of a man to fix his mistakes."

"You're welcome to try."

Orochimaru walked away, motioning to his pawns to continue the fight. The Third watched his teachers' hands intently, trying to prepare a counter move if he had to. As soon as he caught sight of the First Hokage, he knew that was a waste of time.

One cannot truly counter what is unique.

"Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Koutan (Wood Element Secret Technique: Forest Genesis)!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_'MORIOKA! Arrogant human pest! Even from the grave he plagues me!'_

Naruto hadn't been paying attention to the Avatar's ranting. He was too busy trying not to get splattered all over the place as Shukaku batted the paralyzed dragon around. Even so, hearing the nature spirit start screaming at a dead man was enough to confuse him.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

_'I knew that touch was familiar! It is the human who I made the mistake of lending my power to, the one who built this cursed place to begin with!'_

"The First Hokage? How can he be pulling power from you if he's dead?"

_'Gaia's children do not break solemn oaths. Once upon a time I agreed to lend this man my power. Now that he calls upon it again, I cannot but obey, be he man, ghost or demon.'_

"And that's what's stopping you here?"

_'Summoner's Dissonance. A spirit cannot be called upon twice at the same time and manifest its full power – both summoners will meet with failure_.'

Naruto thought it over, but something was nagging at him.

"I remember you saying this wasn't a summon, just you showing up to fight because you felt like it, and I shouldn't get any big ideas about you being at my beck and call. What happened to that?"

_'I cannot be summoned in the truest sense of the term. That is why your dragon construct is still standing. My agreements with humans lend power. The one who requests the power can shape it as he pleases. And my power, while greater than humans can comprehend, is not unlimited. If too many call upon it at once, it will be diluted to the point where little or nothing is forthcoming to each caller, as with diminishing returns. Still, whatever that damned fool is trying to do is not working properly, so there is some good out of this.'_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _

"If you have any one-handed jutsu, Sarutobi-sensei, now would be the time to use them."

Orochimaru chuckled to himself as the Third hung in the air, suspended in a tangle of wood, hands and feet apart to prevent him from using any jutsu. Or at least, that was the idea. For some reason, the wood kept going slack every other second, forcing the First Hokage to continually retighten his hold on his prisoner. An annoyance, but a manageable one – for now. Even so, give the old man enough time and he'd figure out a way to escape.

"Very nice, this toying with him, old boy, but I think it's time we finished it, hmm?"

The captured spirit simply turned its empty gaze onto the Third and set its hands to work.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_'The fool doesn't know when to quit!'_

Naruto was getting really tired of jumping around trying to avoid Shukaku's attacks and watching the Avatar do nothing but gripe about it. As usual, his mouth ran faster than his brain.

"Look, it's just a bigger game of tug-of-war. If the other guy's pulling, then either pull harder or drop the rope and let the bastard fall on his ass!"

The Avatar, never a very forgiving being, chose the latter – and blew the power channel to the First wide open.

The Third had just enough time to hear a cracking noise before the pain sent him spinning down into dark oblivion.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Signal flares are designed to be seen. Whether an observer actually realizes what the flare is supposed to mean is another matter entirely.

The defending Leaf-nins paid the yellow and green chemical light no heed, save to note where it came from in case they had to fight whatever was there later. Their orders weren't given by flare. Iruka, Anko and Hinata, still prowling around looking for a fight, ignored the flare altogether in favor of looking for Sand-nins to pick off.

The attacking Sand-nins also ignored the signal. Most of them were too busy fighting for their lives and their orders had been permanently locked since well before arriving at the Leaf.

That left the Sound forces to realize what was being signaled – that their master's secondary goal had somehow been accomplished. Orochimaru himself, still surveying the Third's limp body, was torn. He could see the old man unconsciously clinging to his last spark of life, chakra flickering dangerously in and out of his senses. Despite his unflappable expression, the mad sennin was really tempted to snuff that spark out.

In the end it was just a brief thought. Mad he was, but Orochimaru wasn't blind to logic. Soon enough the Leaf would counterattack. He'd lived there long enough to know that such a small attack force could never destroy the Village, only wound it. Every Anbu team in the local area would even now be on its way back to turn the tables.

Besides, the Sand would discover what he had done with the _real_ Kazekage sooner or later. Not soon enough to make them retreat from _this_ battle, but he'd be better off being very far away in any case. Something of a touchy subject, that would likely prove. No sense letting greed lead to violence.

"This round goes to me, sensei," he said for posterity. The old man was well beyond actually hearing him. "Do try to be prepared for the next one. I won't give you a warning this time."

He turned to his four minions, still keeping the flame barrier up.

"Uchiha Sasuke is ours. I'm off to meet up with Kabuto. Cover my retreat. The Hokages will assist you while my chakra is still close enough. When they dissipate, leave. I expect the others will be along shortly."

There was no sense wasting valuable resources when they could be used in further plots, after all.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naruto wasn't gifted with an all-seeing crystal ball like the Third. He had no idea what had just happened back at the stadium, or what might be going on in the village proper. All he knew was that the Avatar had just roared in triumph, and the dragon was whole again.

_'Impudent insect! Distract ME, will you?'_

"Enough with the pissing contest! Let's finish Psycho Raccoon Boy and go home!"

_'If a storm is what you want, a storm you will have.'_

The Leaf Genin braced himself and sent a Kage Bunshin back to earth. The clone popped up in front of Tenten and the others to give them a thumbs-up.

"We're good to go! When you see the rain start to fall, start chucking every weapon you can find at that psycho up there. Me and the Avatar will take care of the rest!"

"That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard of!" Tenten snapped. "He just blew up a hundred feet of forest with a sneeze and you think a bunch of human-sized weapons will scratch him?"

The clone gave her a look that bordered on maniacal.

"All it takes is one."

"One in how many chances?"

"I don't know! You're the one who's supposed to have perfect aim. I promise, you'll understand when it's all over. Just don't go tying any strings to 'em. You wouldn't like the ride."

Tenten unlimbered the scrolls in her pouch.

"You screw this up, and I'm going to make you get these all back by yourself."

The clone made a rude noise.

"I screw this up and we're all going to be buried in the world's newest desert."

"Nice incentive," the girl sniffed.

Naruto, up inside the Avatar, snorted.

"The best."

Clouds gathered overhead, darkening ominously to match the smoke drifting skyward from the Hidden Leaf. The Avatar muttered as quietly as it could to Naruto.

_'I doubt I can summon lightning to a specific point without Shukaku noticing somehow. I will say that much for the demon's perception. There WILL be lightning, but it will have to be random if you want it at all.'_

Naruto was learning that the Avatar only helped as much as it felt like helping. He'd planned ahead.

"Hey, as long as lightning works like it's supposed to, we still oughta be okay. Can you at least warn me when a bolt's going to strike near him?"

_'I said I was being careful, not that I was powerless_.'

"Fine! Forget I asked. Let's just get started. Don't bother with the vines; they'll only clue him in. Here's what I need you to do while the guys down there get their weapons ready…"

The dragon roared, its form shifting for what Naruto hoped was the last time. As irrational as the Avatar could get, one of these days he was liable to wind up being skewered by an errant branch. The head, already "bearded" by foliage in the tradition of Eastern dragons, grew multiple horns and something resembling a long, willowy mane. Discarding the sturdy legs required to dig in and ride out a wind blast, the dragon anchored itself with a heavily thickened tail.

Hands flashing together, Naruto looked out at Shukaku and the boy atop the demon's head.

"Time to put on a show. Shame he won't appreciate it."

A Naruto-clone addressed the bear and Leaf Genin below, one last time, with the rain beginning to fall.

"Now I'm gonna sound like Iruka-sensei, or some old fart, but I'm still gonna say it again. One good salvo, with the brightest-looking weapons you have, and then into the trees. I guess you're gonna have to take these two bozos with you after all. Don't need Psycho up there going berserk if he blows those blades away and skewers his buddies. And I certainly don't think you guys wanna get skewered either."

Ino scoffed. She never had been one for lectures.

"We get it. We went to the Academy too."

The clone shrugged.

"Didn't come this far or fight this long just to go takin' casualties now. We might still have to go back and help everyone else. I'm gonna be burned out, and you guys ain't exactly fresh right now either. The less jutsu you use now, the more you're gonna have later."

"Overprotective," Neji said, "but logical. I cannot deflect this many weapons with a Kaiten. I would be drained again halfway through. Simple dodging would be useless with the wind randomly blowing the weapons around. Gaara may be our most _dangerous_ enemy right now, but he is not our _only_ enemy."

The blonde kunoichi arched an eyebrow and hefted a kunai.

"Fine, but if I wind up looking like a pincushion, it's your ass."

The Naruto-clone bowed half-seriously before disappearing.

"If I survive, I'll keep it in mind. Now let's start the show! And if you feel lightning coming, do try to remember, ass in the air is the safest posture."

It wasn't around to hear Tenten say the only way her ass would get that high was if he were kissing it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cruel steel hissed through the air, dull metal shaped to human needs. Even without the name of a jutsu echoing in the air, Shukaku felt the first storm coming, demonic instinct holding true.

"STUPID HUMANS! COME OUT AND FIGHT! YOU THINK YOU CAN TOUCH ME WITH THOSE PUNY THINGS?"

Slinger Ozaki would have wept to see so many fine weapons reduced to random debris in seconds. The Leaf Genin were too busy running for cover to care.

As for Naruto, he was in a rather unfamiliar position – out in the open, standing on the Avatar's head. Shukaku turned back around at the sound of the annoying human's voice.

"Not really, but it would've been a nice bonus. I'm your problem now."

Leaping backward, he rebounded off one of the dragon's horns, Tenten's Fuuma Shuriken in hand – as did a dozen similarly-armed Kage Bunshin. Shukaku roared with insane glee.

"STUPID! STUPID! YOU'RE ALL SO STUPID! YOU CAN'T TOUCH ME IF YOU'RE DEAD!"

The second storm ended in a giant cloud of mixed clone smoke. If Shukaku noticed that no Fuuma Shuriken went flying, it certainly didn't say anything. Naruto did – sailing through the cloud with a boost from the dragon's pliant "horns."

"And _you_ can't touch _me_ if you just wasted all your breath busting up empty chakra."

It was easy for Shukaku to simply lean and let the puny Leaf-nin fly by. So why was the fool laughing when he was going the wrong way and heading for a crash landing?

The demon had no eyes on the top of its head to see Naruto nod at the Avatar's silent warning, twist around in midair and throw his concealed weapon, nor the dull gleam of the Fuuma Shuriken embedded at the feet of its sleeping vessel.

"Hey, Psycho Boy! Eat lightning and crap thunder!"

The third storm was the charm. Gaara of the Desert was treated to a distinctly shocking wakeup call.

Naruto kept right on grinning until a sinking feeling called gravity and an onrushing forest intervened.

_I knew I left something out of that plan_.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

_I knew this plan had too many loopholes_.

Even with Sasuke blind and his heightened-hearing trick revealed, Shino had been unable to finish him off. Nicks, scratches and flesh wounds on the traitor showed how hard he'd tried, but those could heal. Death couldn't. Even down to a fraction of his skills, Sasuke was too good to just roll over and die. If he couldn't attack, he could still run and hide. Every moment spent trying to counter his latest move was more time for Kabuto to catch up.

"I can't leave you alone for a minute. _Now_ do you see why you need our help?"

It was too late to kill the missing-nin, and Shino knew it. Now the question wasn't whether he could stop Sasuke from leaving, but whether he could survive to even tell anyone the other Genin was gone. Fighting Kabuto was suicide. If he was dead, the Leaf would first assume that was related to the Sand attack, and Sasuke would be miles away by the time anyone noticed he was gone.

_Get away. Get away NOW_.

A push with unsteady legs, and he was heading backwards as fast as possible. Kabuto's head turned, hearing the rustle of leaves and twigs stirred up by Shino's escape.

_The brat'll keep as long as he's alive. Time to blow off a little steam_.

"Stay here and out of sight. Orochimaru-sama and the rest of the strike force will be coming this way soon enough to pick you up. I'm off to go make sure our little bird doesn't get to sing about you."

The traitor bristled.

"What about my eyes?"

Kabuto was used to dealing with super geniuses. That alone kept him from snapping a retort and clueing the fool in that Orochimaru was only interested in his body – and even that only as a vessel.

"Your eyes can be healed. Your life is a little tougher, and we're not going to have an easy time of keeping it in one piece if half the Leaf is chasing us. So I'd be much obliged if you'd shut up and let me do my job."

_You'll have plenty of time to act the diva once we return to the Sound,_ he pointedly did not say.

Kabuto was medic and advisor to Orochimaru, which left him little time to do any real fighting. When he _did_ get a chance, he preferred to make the most of it. Shino, being Shino, wasn't going to be very cooperative.

"Slow down, little bird, and I may settle for severing your spine cleanly!"

He hadn't expected the boy to respond, and Shino didn't. The silver-haired man shrugged.

"Well, never mind. That wouldn't have been as fun."

Shino heard the weapons before he saw them, the dull thud of metal embedding itself in the trees around him. The bug-user spared one a glance as he went by, noting the odd shape of a scalpel instead of a kunai or shuriken. It might have been fitting for the son of a medical ninja, but it was still a strange choice.

Kabuto swore at the missed shots. He hadn't used physical weapons in a while, as chakra worked much better for his purposes.

_A hell of a time to get rusty, fool. And you wonder why Orochimaru-sama never talks about anyone but Sasuke or Kimimaro. Get your act together!_

The longer this went on, the closer they got to the Leaf again. He had to end it now. Taking an explosive seal from his pouch, the Sound-nin wrapped it around the handle of his last scalpel, behind his back. The medical tools flew straighter and truer than kunai, which would serve his aims better.

Shino sensed the scalpel as it was thrown, one bug alerting him to the action, another to the weapon's flight path. The Genin didn't change his escape route – the scalpel would miss him by a wide margin. It would have been a fine decision if Kabuto had actually been aiming at him, and not the tree in front of him.

The exploding tree blew the scalpel's remains and a cloud of burning splinters outward in all directions. Gritting his teeth against the loss, the Genin threw a screen of bugs between himself and the blast, switching his body with a log and heading in a different direction – right into the path of the kunai Kabuto had thrown after the scalpel.

Shino felt an alien sensation, fear mixed with shock, as his right leg suddenly refused to respond. Kiba and Hinata were not capable of doing anything better than bruising him while sparring, and Kurenai-sensei rarely went full out in training. Kabuto was capable of much worse, including putting an entire stadium to sleep with one genjutsu.

Duty warred with his fear. _If_ he made enough of a commotion, the Anbu might come to check it out.

_Won't be much help with that whole dying part, though_.

Shino discarded the thought. If he lived, he lived. If he died, he died. No sense trying to fool himself with false hope.

The last of his bombardier beetles marshaled in a wide span around him, a living minefield against Kabuto. Shino drew one of his last explosive seals from his waist pouch and wrapped it around the whole thing, his smoke bombs included. If this worked, the black smoke plume would remain visible for some time (well, as long as nobody thought to blow it away somehow).

Plus, the whole conflagration would cremate him and the bugs, so he had that going for him, the Genin bitterly added.

The Sound-nin approached leisurely, seeing his target making no attempt to escape, but staying well out of range of the carpet of beetles.

"Ah, Shino. Was it really worth your life to come here and hinder Orochimaru-sama's plans? To keep Uchiha Sasuke in the Hidden Leaf?"

"I swore the same oath you did." Shino said. "To protect this village against all who would dare threaten it, and to defend my comrades against the same. Do not dare to compare yourself with me if you have turned your back on that promise."

"Everyone has his own path, Sasuke included. Judge him and me all you like; that's just how it is. Now if you don't mind, I'll go on my path and you can go to Hell."

Shino tensed as Kabuto drew his arm back to throw more kunai, prepared to ignite his trap at the last possible second – but the blow never came. Instead, his unbelieving eyes and ears were treated to the sight of Kabuto retreating from a hail of steel and fire, and a voice ringing through the forest.

"He might be destined for Hell, but you'll be there waiting for him!"

He looked up to see his savior, and found saviors instead, men and women dressed in long, dark coats, long blades on their backs, all wearing the inscrutable masks of the Anbu. Then, as the shock and blood loss won out, Shino saw only darkness. The lead Anbu sighed as she watched him pitch over in a dead faint.

"Let the traitor go. He won't be coming back here any time soon now that he's been found out, and the village is still under attack. We need to get back, and the boy needs the hospital. Let's go."

Ikegata Tenko kept her eyes focused on Kabuto as her teammates treated Shino's wounds. She mouthed silent curses as the Sound-nin faded out of view.

_Thank all the gods the boy made as much noise as he did, or we'd never have known to increase our pace coming back from the Tea Country_.

Tenten's mother suppressed a shudder, wondering where her daughter was in all this. If indeed Uchiha Sasuke had gone turncoat, they were all in trouble. In her opinion, the entire Bloodline should have been exterminated as diseased the moment that Itachi had begun to have his delusions of grandeur. Now it was too late, and children were paying for their parents' mistakes.

The veteran kunoichi leapt down from her perch to help shoulder Shino's stretcher. Her eyes took in the still-burning Hidden Leaf as she did so, and Tenko snatched her head away from it as if she had been burned as well.

_How much of our future have you compromised for one family, Hokage-sama?_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Shouts penetrated the chaos inside the stadium, the remaining Anbu and Jounin turning their attention away from mopping up the last of the Sand and Sound-nins present.

"The barrier is coming down! Everyone stay alert!"

"They're gone! I don't see the Hokage! Where did they go?"

"Anbu to the roof! Everyone else go out and sweep the streets clean!"

"Gods! There are trees bloody everywhere. What the hell happened in here?"

Kakashi wasn't Anbu any longer, but he'd been one long enough to stay on the roof despite the order. There wasn't much place for him to go anyhow, the Jounin reckoned. He wasn't sensing Orochimaru or even the chakra of the barrier-makers anymore, and there were plenty of Anbu out there looking for them already.

The odor of smoke wafted on the air around him. Kakashi ran a hand through his hair and watched the Leaf burn. So many miscalculations they had all made – were still making. His three students were scattered so badly he wasn't sure where any of them had gone. Did he even have three students anymore?

_It's official. I'm a lousy sensei._

That could be remedied – if they were all still alive. Fixing the damage done to the village was going to be the tricky part.

A faint groan brought him out of his thoughts, and Kakashi looked around for the source. Seeing nothing, he reached up and uncovered the Sharingan, questing for a chakra source.

If it hadn't been flickering so badly, Kakashi never would have found the tiny amount of chakra the Third still possessed. Immediately, he wished he hadn't. The sight of the Hokage's crushed, mangled body would stay with him for the rest of his life, another in a long list of nightmares. For now, the Jounin counted himself lucky he was so conditioned to doing his duty, head snapping around to shout commands to the gathered shinobi.

"Get a medic team up here! Now! The Hokage won't last much longer!"

The Anbu flashed away, fleet as ever. Kakashi watched them go, kneeling to do what he could for the old man, hoping it would be enough to keep the Third alive until the medics came. As he did so, the village continued to burn, and the unfamiliar chill of despair settled upon his thoughts.

_Even if the Hokage lives, will it matter?_


End file.
